Linux Is More Secure Than Windows

Five key factors behind increased security of Linux: 1. Privileges

Linux systems are far from foolproof, but one of its main advantages is the way the account privileges are assigned. In Windows, users are usually administrative access by default, which means they have very good access to the entire system, even its most crucial. So the virus. It's like giving the terrorists high level of government.

With Linux, on the other hand, users generally do not like "root" privileges, but are generally given lower levels of accounts. What this means is that even if a Linux system is compromised, the virus does not have root access needed to damage the system, most likely, only the user's local files and programs would be affected. This can make the difference between a minor annoyance and a major disaster in any business environment.

2. Social engineering

Viruses and worms often spread to persuade computer users to do something that would not open attachments that carry viruses and worms. This is known as social engineering, and is very easy in Windows. Just send an email with a malicious attachment and a subject line like "Check out these adorable puppies" - Or equivalent porno -. And the users are required to click without thinking about the result? An open door for malware attached, with potentially disastrous consequences throughout the organization.

Thanks to the fact that most Linux users do not have access to the root, however, is much harder to do real damage on a Linux system, encouraging them to do something stupid. Before any real damage could occur, a Linux user should read the emails, save the attachment, give it execute permissions and then run the executable file. It is unlikely, in other words.

3. The effect of monoculture

However, I want to discuss the exact number, there is no doubt that Microsoft Windows still dominates most of the computing world. In the field of e-mail, so that Outlook and Outlook Express. And therein lies the problem: It is essentially a monoculture, which is the best technology in the natural world. Just as genetic diversity is good in the natural world, as it minimizes the harmful effects of a deadly virus, so a variety of settings to help protect users.

Fortunately, a variety of scenarios is another advantage offered by Linux. There are Ubuntu, Debian, there, there is Gentoo, and many other distributions. There are many shells, many packaging systems, and many mail clients, Linux works well on many architectures beyond Intel. So while a virus can be addressed directly to Windows users, since all use more or less the same technology, reaching over a small faction of Linux users is much more difficult. Who would not want your company to give that extra layer of insurance?

4. Audience Measurement

Hand in hand with this is because the monoculture is not particularly surprising that most viruses target Windows, and workstations in your organization is no exception. Millions of people use the same software are an attractive target for malicious attacks.

5. How eyeballs

"Linus' Law" - named after Linus Torvalds, creator of Linux - says, "Given enough, all bugs are shallow. "This means that the largest group of developers and testers working on a set of codes, the more likely an error will be caught and corrected quickly. It is, in other words, is about the opposite of "security through obscurity" argument.

With Windows, this is a limited set of developers paid trying to find problems in the code. They respect their own set of timelines and that they generally do not tell anyone about the problems until they have already created a solution and leaves the door open for exploits until it password. Not a very comforting thought for companies that rely on this technology.

Linux in the world, on the other hand, many users can see the code at any time, making it more likely that someone finds the error as soon as possible. Not only that, but users can also solve the problem yourself. Microsoft can tout the large number of paid developers, but it is unlikely that the team can be compared to a global user base of Linux developers around the world. Security can only benefit through all these extra "eyes".

Again, this does not mean that Linux is an air-tight, has no operating system. And there is definitely a step Linux users should take to ensure that the systems as secure as possible, for example by providing a firewall, minimizing the use of root privileges, and to keep the system updated. For an additional cost for peace of mind is an antivirus for Linux, including ClamAV. These measures are especially good for small businesses, which may be more at stake than individual users.

It is also interesting to note that the security company Secunia has recently announced that Apple's products have more vulnerabilities than any other, - incl. Microsoft way, but when it comes to security, there is no doubt that Linux users have far less worries.