3 ms·

Clever suggestion! Android seems perfect, almost as if it was made for ATMs. Plus, it is based on Linux, which is extremely secure.

ekianjo 13y ago
> Plus, it is based on Linux, which is extremely secure. Linux the kernel, I would say, to avoid ambiguity. And second, I'm not sure what you refer to when you say "extremely secure" but even Linux had its share of issues recently (GnuTLS library).
- tsahyt 13y ago
  The beauty about Linux (and a lot of well-maintained open source software) is that security flaws are usually patched rather quickly -- with the possible exception of the disaster that is X, but Wayland is coming along nicely.
  - ekianjo 13y ago
    > patched rather quickly For offline equipments, not sure how likely they would be patched, though.
    - gambiting 13y ago
      I don't know why you are getting downvoted - ATMs are never connected to the Internet directly, they connect to the bank either using a built in modem(yes, the dial-up variety) or their own VPN systems. So it's extremely unlikely, if not just impossible for them to be downloading their own software updates, unless they are published by the bank for the machines to download.
      - hueving 13y ago
        I didn't downvote, but I'm guessing it's because the majority of vulnerabilities are irrelevant if the thing is not connected to the Internet.
  - e12e 13y ago
    There have been a few bugs that have been patched, but turned out to have been introduce quite a while before they were reported and patched. That doesn't mean they were not found long before they were reported/fixed, though. I agree that free software seems to be very much responsive to disclosed issues though, and while many vendors (perhaps especially Microsoft) have gotten a lot better lately, the image remains (rightly or not) that closed source companies move (too) slow when it comes to patching security issues. (Part of that is quality control, patching one bug tends to introduce/expose more)
- hueving 13y ago
  Not to be too pedantic, but the GnuTLS library isn't "Linux the kernel".

ekianjo 13y ago

> Plus, it is based on Linux, which is extremely secure. Linux the kernel, I would say, to avoid ambiguity. And second, I'm not sure what you refer to when you say "extremely secure" but even Linux had its share of issues recently (GnuTLS library).

tsahyt 13y ago
The beauty about Linux (and a lot of well-maintained open source software) is that security flaws are usually patched rather quickly -- with the possible exception of the disaster that is X, but Wayland is coming along nicely.
- ekianjo 13y ago
  > patched rather quickly For offline equipments, not sure how likely they would be patched, though.
  - gambiting 13y ago
    I don't know why you are getting downvoted - ATMs are never connected to the Internet directly, they connect to the bank either using a built in modem(yes, the dial-up variety) or their own VPN systems. So it's extremely unlikely, if not just impossible for them to be downloading their own software updates, unless they are published by the bank for the machines to download.
    - hueving 13y ago
      I didn't downvote, but I'm guessing it's because the majority of vulnerabilities are irrelevant if the thing is not connected to the Internet.
- e12e 13y ago
  There have been a few bugs that have been patched, but turned out to have been introduce quite a while before they were reported and patched. That doesn't mean they were not found long before they were reported/fixed, though. I agree that free software seems to be very much responsive to disclosed issues though, and while many vendors (perhaps especially Microsoft) have gotten a lot better lately, the image remains (rightly or not) that closed source companies move (too) slow when it comes to patching security issues. (Part of that is quality control, patching one bug tends to introduce/expose more)
hueving 13y ago
Not to be too pedantic, but the GnuTLS library isn't "Linux the kernel".