Wait a minute here. Malware writers might start targeting the Linux OS? Might, from what I am reading at NewsForge, it sounds like that they might already be! Wow, this certainly changes things.

From this moment on, how Linux developers deal with this threat is going to be closely watched by Linux users of the world. If they can prove that the Open Source OS is dynamic to stay one step ahead, then they will be able to prove once and for all that Linux is in fact the better OS out there on the market.

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. UPDATED

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. “The more popular Linux becomes, the more attention it will get from hackers. Viruses and malicious code are written by people who want to make money. Spamming, for example is a motive,” a spokesman said.