Secure Alternatives

Something better than Windows?

Scott Spanbauer

Though most PC users stare at Windows each day, Microsoft's operating system isn't the only way to go. Users of Apple's computers and its Mac OS X, and users of the open-source Linux OS see far fewer virus and worm attacks than Windows users. Are these Windows alternatives inherently safer?

Not really, according to Chad Dougherty, an Internet security analyst at Carnegie-Mellon's CERT Coordination Center. Dougherty claims that worms are able to propagate thanks to security ignorance on the part of users, as well as poor default application and OS settings.

"The underlying operating system is not necessarily at fault in a lot of those cases," he adds. Dougherty says virus writers overwhelmingly target Windows to get the most bang for the buck.

Other factors, including the frequency and timeliness of security fixes, certainly affect OS security. Microsoft has recently come under fire for taking too long to patch known flaws in its products, despite a professed renewed emphasis on security.

Nevertheless, switching to a Mac OS X- or Linux-powered PC could be a good short-term security move because the vast majority of malicious code lurking out there doesn't run on those operating systems.

Switching to another OS is no minor undertaking, however. Converting from Windows to the Mac OS requires both new software and new hardware--a costly experience. And converting to Linux has its own challenges. PC World Executive Editor Ed Albro lived with a Linux-based system for a month and lived to tell the tale. Read "The Linux Experiment" for details.

The latest Linux versions are mostly available as free downloads, and likely support your existing hardware. But despite advances in user friendliness, Linux is still more difficult to install and configure for most of us. Until that changes, you'll have to fight viruses rather than switch operating systems.