NewsForge: Why Malware Parasites Are Starting to Draw Linux Blood

"When a parasite is faced with a change in environment, it too will change or perish. While Microsoft Windows is the platform of choice for viruses and other malware, parasite writers are starting to smell fresh blood elsewhere. Numerous metrics indicate that Linux is charging full speed into the desktop market. According to an IDC report, businesses and government departments will spend $98 million on services to support their Linux systems in 2004. By 2008, the figure is predicted to increase to $228 million.

"The escalating growth is already gaining the wrong sort of attention. According to Trend Micro, the number of Linux viruses and worms reported in the wild between June and November of last year increased five-fold, from 100 to 496, and is still growing..."

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• ONLamp: Linux Users: Welcome to the World of Malware(Oct 29, 2004)