Mele20
Premium
join:2001-06-05
Hilo, HI
| reply to TeMerc
Re: Is VMware the answer to spyware
It is rather obvious from the posts here that you guys are not using VMWare. And using Microsoft's Virtual PC 2004 is not the same. It is quite inferior to VMWare. Plus, you all seem to be confusing two very different applications.
Mike Helean's article is about using Browser Appliance in VMWare Player. This is quite different from using VMWare Workstation or Microsoft's Virtual PC 2004. He is correct that you cannot get infected 99.9% of the time using Browser Appliance in VMWare Player with this preinstalled simplified version of Ubuntu. I have used Browser Appliance although I used it in VMWare Workstation. It is designed for browsing only. It has a lot of restrictions on Fx and Ubuntu built in. If, against all odds, you get infected and the infection can elevate itself to admin priviledges somehow, you can just delete it. The host machine will not be infected.
The only way you can get the Host machine infected would be to move an infected file from Browser Appliance to your host PC. It is not easy to move files between the two machines unless you have VMWare Workstation and use Browser Appliance in it and if you have VMWare Workstation, and have mastered all the things you have to learn to properly use Workstation, you are knowledgeable enough to know to be very careful if moving files from a virtual machine to the host. I was very frustrated by Browser Appliance as it is so limited. Plus, I too could not get it to play video files but I had thought maybe I didn't try hard enough until I read Mike's article. I think Mike is being unrealistic about how many users will like Browser Appliance.
I far prefer VMWare Workstation as with that you have virtual machines that are not limited (which you created) running on your Host machine and they can use the CDRom drive on the host, the floppy drive (if you have one), the printer, and you can easily move files between the machines. (I could not get Ubuntu to recognize my CDRom drive when I had Browser Appliance in VMWare Workstation). The beauty of VMWare is that you can start your session by making a current snapshot, then do your thing, when you are through revert to the snapshot you made at the beginning of the session or simply set it so that nothing is saved of the session when you shut down, or you can save or make another snapshot.
VMWare is perfect for beta testing and for learning Linux or using other Microsoft OSes. However, there will be holes in it (VMWare Workstation I mean not Browser Appliance). Just recently there was a required upgrade due to a hole...that is required if you don't use bridged neworking which most use. I was not vulnerable so I kept the older version as the new one is still rather buggy.
VMWare has only one drawback (besides the cost of the software) and that is that you will need plenty of RAM. If you have 1GB that is enough to run one virtual machine (with 256MB allocated to the virtual machine). But if you want to run more than one simultaneously then you will need 1500MB to 2GB RAM.
VMWare is marvelous. It is the best application I have ever used. I'm getting a new PC with 2GB RAM and I'll be able to run several virtual guest machines at the same time. I will be able to switch between Linux and Windows...no need to reboot, printer is shared.
Using VMWare doesn't mean one abdicates responsibilty and learning. (Using Browser Appliance would allow one to remain ignorant but I don't think too many users will like Browser Appliance). Heck, you had to be aware of the recent security hole and know if you were vulnerable and if so you had to upgrade. As VMware becomes very popular, there will be more hackers concentrating on it and thus users will need to be educated about it and be vigilant. A VMWare user (even a Browser Appliance user running it in the free player) needs to join the outstanding VMWare boards immediately.
VMWare is not a panacea. But it sure beats the cost of buying three or four physical computers or setting up dual booting, etc. If you enjoy beta testing there is nothing better. I use TI now with an external hard drive. I still want VMWare. It is tons of fun and simply awesome that I can run a variety of virtual machines on one physical machine.
--
"If you want to do DRM on a PC then you need to treat the user as the enemy." Ross Anderson in "`Trusted Computing' Frequently Asked Questions" |
|
ZOverLord
Premium
join:2003-10-20
Minneapolis, MN
| That's basically what the Microsoft Shared Toolkit Does except on a much less resource intensive manner.
Wish more people would try it, even for shared computers in homes it can be useful. Using it takes much less setup and can be turned on/off very easily. Changes are easy to apply as well.
I guess when I see entire virtual machines created that can be done by simply using the toolkit and much less memory and for FREE  I wonder why?
On dual boot systems for Both Windows and other OS's I can understand.
--
Black, Grey and White Hats Unite here -> »testing.OnlyTheRightAnswers.com |
|
CalamityJane
Premium,VIP,MVM
join:2002-08-27
Eustis, FL
edit:
January 28th, @10:39PM
| said by ZOverLord  :That's basically what the Microsoft Shared Toolkit Does except on a much less resource intensive manner. Wish more people would try it, even for shared computers in homes it can be useful. Using it takes much less setup and can be turned on/off very easily. Changes are easy to apply as well. ZOverLord, I have to admit I'm not familiar with that tool but it looks very interesting.
»www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/shar···iew.mspx
I would love to see a new topic (so as not to detract from this one) on the subject and ask you to share your experiences with it...Pro and Con.
It looks very promising at first glance. Maybe something I should recommend to my home users add to their arsenal?? The VMware appliance here just looks way to complicated (and expensive) to expect the average user to consider.
Edit: typo 
--
It takes a disaster to make a woman out of a female
Microsoft MVP/Windows Security 2003-2006
Proud Member of ASAP (Alliance of Security Analysis Professionals) |
|
ZOverLord
Premium
join:2003-10-20
Minneapolis, MN
| said by CalamityJane :said by ZOverLord :That's basically what the Microsoft Shared Toolkit Does except on a much less resource intensive manner. Wish more people would try it, even for shared computers in homes it can be useful. Using it takes much less setup and can be turned on/off very easily. Changes are easy to apply as well. ZOverLord, I have to admit I'm not familiar with that tool but it looks very interesting. » www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/shar···iew.mspxI would love to see a new topic (so as not to detract from this one) on the subject and ask you to share your experiences with it...Pro and Con. It looks very promising at first glance. Maybe something I should recommend to my home users add to their arsenal?? The VMware appliance here just looks way to complicated (and expensive) to expect the average user to consider. Edit: typo Done,
Sorry about that the new topic is located here:
»Windows Shared Computer ToolKit XP Details & Help
--
Black, Grey and White Hats Unite here -> »testing.OnlyTheRightAnswers.com |
|
