[Hidden-tech] Windows security (sic)

[Mark Bucciarelli]

Andy Klapper wrote:

>  
>Linux is better, mostly because it has less market share and thus less glory
>(or profit) in infecting it, and less ability to spread since a Linux
>specific virus cannot replicate on a Windows based machine (and vise versa).
>  
>
This is a myth.

Linux is better because it is based on the Unix architecture which was 
architected from the start to be multi-user and handle all the assocated 
security issues. Windows was built for ease of use and convenience, a 
very different goal which often conflicts with the goal of security.

The stats on Internet bear this out, where Linux-based software 
dominates Windows. All these applications run on either GNU/Linux or 
FreeBSD:
- Apache runs 70% of all active web sites (Microsoft is at 23%)
- Apache is growing at a faster rate
- in 2000, Bind ran over 95% of all reverse nameservers and 100% of the 
internet root name servers
- MySql grew 30% in 2003, SQL Server grew 6%

In 2001, the Gartner Group recommended that businesses switch from 
Microsoft IIS to Apache because of IIS’s poor security track record, 
noting that enterprises had spent $1.2 billion simply fixing Code Red 
(IIS-related) vulnerabilities by July 2001. This despite IIS being less 
used than Apache.

There is actually a secondary black market where spammers buy and sell 
"zombies"--windows machines that are connected to broadband that have 
been cracked and are used to spew spam. (If you have a Windows box at 
home with a broadband connection, please scan it for viruses!)

It also doesn't hold up when you look at the virus counts and compare to 
desktop share:
- there are about 60,000 viruses known for Windows, 40 or so for the 
Macintosh, and perhaps 40 for Linux.

40 / 60,000 = 0.06%. In 1st qtr 2005, Mac had a marketshare of 3.7% [2] 
(60X greater than their share of viruses). In 2002, the Linux desktop 
marketshare was estimated at 1.7% [1] (28X greater). (These stats are a 
bit wonky b/c the numbers are so small, but it's a large bias in favor 
of linux/bsd so I include them.)

*********************
Having said all that, it really depends on the sys admin.

If your company has a good windows admin,

then you have no worries.
*********************

Regards,

m

[1] http://www.dwheeler.com/oss_fs_why.html
[2] http://www.macobserver.com/article/2005/04/15.14.shtml