[LINK] Network request verification for Linux (was: More on Microsoft products tracking users)

[Glen Turner]

Rick Welykochy wrote:
> 
> Sluggers: is there any similar software for Linux? I know a firewall
> might go part of the way, but what is really needed is software that
> detects even outgoing request on, say, port 80 that are not generated
> by the user ... however that is defined! Prolly a config file listing
> just those apps that are allowed to make net connections.

Modifications to the socket() code for UNIX to achieve this have
been around for the longest time.  They originally started out
to do things like allow students web access but not news access
on a multiuser machine used by both staff and students.

There doesn't seem much point on a single-user machine.  The
problem for Windows users is that they can't trust their supplier.
Nor can Linux users, but the availability of source code means that
underhandedness by distributors is detected early and that the
problem can be fixed at its source, by removing the offending
bit of code and recompiling.  This is many times more efficient
that writing yet more code to supervise other code.

Furthermore, there is no contract between Linux distributors
and users that prohibits reverse engineering.  So any underhandedness
can be openly demonstrated without fear of legal reprisal.

Cheers,
Glen

PS: "Trust" here is used in its technical crypto definition.