Linux vs Windows: Security
Viruses, Trojans, adware, and Spyware... MS Windows lets all these enter your computer easily. In a recent report I read, the average time before a Windows PC connected to the Internet (with Service Pack 2 installed) gets infected in about 40 minutes time (and as little as 30 seconds).
And on top of that, adequate protection isn't always enough. Even with a firewall, antivirus, antiSpyware software, plus a more secure web browser and email client (such as Mozilla Firefox and Thunderbird instead of Internet Explorer and MS Outlook), you'll still need to pray that pirates aren't smart enough to overcome.
And what about security flaws in the operating system? Microsoft often takes weeks to make an update available. On the other hand, you can install Linux and sleep soundly -- and stop worrying about it.
Open Source Versus Closed Source
As I have already discussed in my previous posting, Open Source software (e.g. Linux) has more eyes to check the code. Any programmer is welcome to download and inspect code, and repair any security flaws.
Comparatively, the only qualified individuals allowed to look at Windows source code are those who are working directly for Microsoft. In terms of manpower: the Linux community has hundreds of thousands of people -- maybe millions -- looking for security flaws, versus a few thousand that work for Microsoft. That makes a big difference!
On top of that, where the Microsoft developers are dedicated to helping the company make money and not necessarily a better product, the developers of Open Source Software are dedicated to the product. They want to make the software better for the joy of it.
In actuality, it isn't matter of how many flaws an operating system has, versus others. For example: if there are undiscovered flaws of a serious nature or are minor in that they don't compromise an important part of the system, hackers often won't do much damage until they find them. It is really a matter of how fast a security flaw can be solved once it has been discovered.
In the Linux World, updates typically usually appear within a few days, and in some cases, a few hours after an exploit has been discovered. And, due to the amount of rigorous testing, checking, and even more testing the software becomes available to the public, patches are fairly infrequent. Most of the time, any updates applied are for the addition of new features to the various effected software packages.
Compared to the Linux Community, Microsoft lacks in manpower. Typically, MS releases a flock of security patches a month or more after flaws have been discovered. And quite often, updates to Microsoft products don't always fix the flaws. That gives more than enough for pirates to do whatever they want with your computer.
Most popular articles
- Which Processor is Better: Intel or AMD? - Explained
- How to Prevent Ransomware in 2018 - 10 Steps
- 5 Best Anti Ransomware Software Free
- How to Fix: Computer / Network Infected with Ransomware (10 Steps)
- How to Fix: Your Computer is Infected, Call This Number (Scam)
- Scammed by Informatico Experts? Here's What to Do
- Scammed by Smart PC Experts? Here's What to Do
- Scammed by Right PC Experts? Here's What to Do
- Scammed by PC / Web Network Experts? Here's What to Do
- How to Fix: Windows Update Won't Update
- Explained: Do I need a VPN? Are VPNs Safe for Online Banking?
- Explained: VPN vs Proxy; What's the Difference?
- Explained: Difference Between VPN Server and VPN (Service)
- Forgot Password? How to: Reset Any Password: Windows Vista, 7, 8, 10
- How to: Use a Firewall to Block Full Screen Ads on Android
- Explained: Absolute Best way to Limit Data on Android
- Explained: Difference Between Dark Web, Deep Net, Darknet and More
- Explained: If I Reset Windows 10 will it Remove Malware?
![](/graphics/dennisfaas.jpg)
My name is Dennis Faas and I am a senior systems administrator and IT technical analyst specializing in cyber crimes (sextortion / blackmail / tech support scams) with over 20 years experience; I also run this website! If you need technical assistance , I can help. Click here to email me now; optionally, you can review my resume here. You can also read how I can fix your computer over the Internet (also includes user reviews).
We are BBB Accredited
![](https://www.infopackets.com/graphics/bbb.png)
We are BBB accredited (A+ rating), celebrating 21 years of excellence! Click to view our rating on the BBB.