Why Linux is more secure

Windows flaws keep causing trouble for most Internet users. Earlier this week I was at a meeting of a group of tech professionals in the Seattle area, all of whom work with small businesses. The interesting thing was, most of the Windows people spoke about the latest anti-spyware programs or the merits or problems with specific anti-virus software. Meanwhile, the Mac person and I were talking about ways our systems could actually help a business.

A couple months ago, I had a dialog with another computer consultant, debating the security of Linux versus Windows. While he's a competent Linux administrator, he still argued the often-cited point that Linux would be attacked more if there was more of it.

I think substantial architectural factors and default settings go a long ways towards mitigating these risks. While no computer on the Internet can be considered completely secure, having sane default policies and a heterogenous environment makes it much harder for viruses and automated tools to create vast bot-nets and the like.

Here's a nice article describing why Linux is more secure: InformationWeek | Linux Security | Linux Security: A Good Thing Keeps Getting Better | January 4, 2006