[NTLUG:Discuss] Virus / Worm problems

[Patrick R. Michaud]

On Fri, Oct 06, 2006 at 09:54:23AM -0500, Wayne Walker wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 06, 2006 at 09:33:25AM -0500, Terry Henderson wrote:
> > Ubuntu uses sudo for everything and has no root user account, (it is
> > dissabled by default).
> > BUT, it can easily be enabled;
> > 
> >    sudo passwd root
> > and then dissabled again:
> >    sudo passwd -1 root
> > 
> > Does this make Ubuntu more or less secure?
>
> MUCH less secure.

Interesting -- I would've posted that it's -marginally- less secure,
not that it's -much- less secure.  

Why does enabling a password for root here make things significantly
less secure?  (Let's assume that root is being given a reasonably
safe password -- something at least as secure as the password to
the account performing the sudo commands above.)

Pm