windows vs linux security strengths and weaknesses

Comments are encouraged. Here is some strengths to start with: The easiest OS to install there is. For years, Microsoft security has been the equivalent of using a lawnmower to trim a hedge–if you were careful, you wouldn’t lose any limbs. Copyright © 2021 The Linux Foundation®. Service Pack 2 features an attachment execution service that will have a central place for attachments to be accessed by Outlook/Exchange, Windows Messenger, and Internet Explorer. Mac OS X “Hi, I’m a Mac. An example of that is memory address randomization. Other factors can impact the ease or difficulty of patching a system, include determining if a patch is backward-compatible and can be implemented without breaking an application. Another major change with Linux v2.6 is the addition of Linux Security Modules (LSM), which allows users to add additional security mechanisms to a Linux distribution without needing to patch the kernel. The tight integration of a Windows operating system increases the number of potential security exposures; in effect, this means a Windows server patch is not a feature but often a requirement. some proprietary standards. Linkedin. Every step can be re-run by users, and this enables incremental security on a meta level. One of the issues that continues to plague Windows users is buffer overflow. The system mandates the separation of data based on confidentiality and integrity requirements, so any potential damage, even by a superuser process, is confined on a Linux system. One of the biggest security disadvantages for Linux is that hasn’t benefited from the years of attacks that Windows platforms have weathered. IPSec verifies the identity of a host or end point and ascertains that no modifications were made to the data during transit across the network and encrypts data. All other shared source licensees have to make a trip to Microsoft in Redmond, Wash., to access source code that is not available through the program. The Last Watchdog © 2021 Privacy Policy | Terms of Use, touting the intrinsic security superiority of Linux, 99% of malware threats in the first half of 2008 targeted Windows platforms, without the elevated privileges that UAC seeks to enforce, Department of Homeland Security’s project to identify and remediate vulnerabilities. Criteria. This study evaluates operating system security according to the current technology available in the market rather than legacy solutions. Sign up to join this community. WhatsApp. Protection Profile audit, kernel cryptography, Kerberos, PKI, Access Control lists, Controlled It adds mandatory access control, or MAC, and related concepts to Linux. The exec-shield patch also makes it more difficult to conduct a shell-code exploit. Fundamental changes in Linux and Windows security. There are numerous typos here and the link to “our research” in broken. Another new feature in Service Pack 2 is the ability to uninstall additions to a browser, which potentially places more responsibility on the end user who may have to look at many plug-ins and uninstall the right ones. By - April 17, 2008. To meet that requirement, and adding to the complexity of the solution, is the variety of Microsoft partners and independent software vendors who provide patch management, and the need to evaluate which package works best for a given organization. Since exec-shield operates transparently applications do not need to be recompiled. This means their source code is not shared for the public to see or make changes to it. Although modules are not all signed by one key, since MSCAPI trusts a large number of root certifying authorities, and trusts multiple keys for code signing, it takes only one key to be compromised to make the entire system vulnerable to attack. default has been emphasized lately, Common Criteria Certification, flaw handling, Linux has achieved EAL3 and has good flaw Linux v2.6 also provides support for cryptographic security, with the addition of a cryptographic API used by IPSec. Much ado has been made about whether or not Linux is truly more secure than Windows. BMC, HP OpenView, IBM Tivoli, and Aduva all offer tools to distribute and deploy patches. “One positive side effect of the target virus and malware authors have painted on Microsoft products is that most Windows users have an antivirus or anti-malware utility install.”. virii and malware plague the lives of Windows users who dare to use the Internet. Linux by contrast, has a fantastic desktop … Both include support for IPSec, an open standard for cryptography-based protection at the IP layer. It hasn't been yet, but it could be there. There is a hierarchy of evaluation assurance levels — for instance, EAL1 through EAL7. Unix & Linux Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for users of Linux, FreeBSD and other Un*x-like operating systems. One positive side effect of the target virus and malware authors have painted on Microsoft products is that most Windows users have an antivirus or anti-malware utility install. Perhaps one of the most innovative developments for Linux users is User-mode Linux (UML), which is a patch for the Linux kernel that allows an executable binary to be compiled and executed on a host Linux machine. A variety of access control mechanisms have been built on top of LSM, including the United States’ National Security Agency’s (NSA) Security Enhanced Linux (SELinux). Aside from technical and administrative criteria, it should also be mentioned that personal experience often plays a decisive role whether a user gets along with an operating system or not. Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows 2003 Server, and Windows CE are just a subset of Microsoft’s offerings. Qualitative score: Windows gets an A- while Linux gets a B+. Since Linux is open source, unlike Windows, there is unrestricted access to the history of all of the source code. Table 1: Key Linux and Windows Operating System Twitter. Windows 7 takes a step backwards by relaxing the restrictions enforced by UAC to make installing and running legacy programs easier, but at the cost of security. The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. Apache and Postfix are cross-platform applications and tend to be more secure than corresponding Microsoft products. This means theseaccounts have no rights beyond access to files marked with appropriatepermissions, and the ability to launch network services. These Linux servers are effectively protected from potential attacks hence there is no need for anti-virus. All of theother accounts on the system are unprivileged. We compared Windows vs. Linux by examining the following metrics in the 40 most recent patches/vulnerabilities listed for Microsoft Windows Server … For instance, there will be an intelligent MIME-type review in Internet Explorer that will check the content type of an object and let the user know if is a potentially harmful executable. audit trail/logging, Pluggable Authentication Module, plug-in modules, Anybody can ask a question Anybody can answer The best answers are voted up and rise to the top Sponsored by. For example, the Alterer and Messenger service has been turned off to reduce the amount of spam received. The governments of Russia, the United Kingdom, China, and NATO participate in Microsoft’s Government Security Program. Security Comparison: Windows vs Linux. Under this model, all aspects of the Linux kernel are designed for fine-grained user access instead of the prior scheme of providing total control to the superuser. ReddIt . Security considerations in Linux and Windows continue to fuel the debate on which is better, an open source or closed source operating system. What are some Strengths/Weaknesses of SECURITY of both of these OS ? Although some users may find the Shared Source Initiative useful for debugging applications, the requirement to be physically at Microsoft headquarters to do a build is a significant limitation. Other vendors have taken advantage of the NSA’s work as well. The user of a Linux system can decide to add additional security mechanisms to a Linux distribution without having to patch the kernel. A number of vendors, like Intel, Microsoft, and IBM, are embracing the potential of this emerging technology. Microsoft has shown a great willingness — no doubt spurred on by industry cynicism and the growing adoption of Linux — to dedicate massive resources to Windows security. With this measure, users intensify their security and make it harder to get compromised. Application security for Linux is also enhanced with firewalling built into the kernel, and Snort is an excellent intrusion detection system. Linux’s and Windows’ support for network security and protocols are comparable. Service Pack 2 will offer many flashy new features for Windows users, but the question remains: Will these features burden system administrators, and possibility end users, with more complexity, rather than addressing the security of Windows operating system code? Access Protection Profile audit, Microsoft crypto application The table below locks and the strengths and weaknesses of both operating systems. just mention norton in any IT circle and you’ll get a chuckle. Cryptographically signed modules are not yet a part of Linux, but if the issues about implementing such a feature can be resolved it will prove useful in preventing unsigned modules from being accessed by the kernel. So his version of Linux includes security hardening that he says should be in the official version of Linux. Although their exploits are no fun for Windows users, the hordes of malware authors have served as de facto security auditors and have led to the remediation of piles of security bugs in Windows. Managers need a framework to evaluate operating system security that includes an assessment of base security, network security and protocols, application security, deployment and operations, assurance, trusted computing, and open standards. Linux is more secure than Windows because of the way it's designed and handles user permissions. Linux is notoriously reliable and secure. Related to the differences in design of Windows and Linux is the process and complexity of patch management. We recommend that organizations start an analysis of their operating system security by becoming familiar with key security capabilities that are required to meet the organization’s need for functionality, which will reduce risk and ensure compliance. Users need to keep in mind that there are philosophical differences in the design of Linux and Windows. This will reduce the risk of an end user enabling a virus or worm by launching an executable. Optiv’s assessment services were a great fit and focused on vulnerability and penetration testing of the internal and external networks. From the end-user standpoint it’s hard to argue with the fact that Windows users are more impacted by malicious software than users of other operating systems, which is supported by the fact that Kaspersky Labs found that more than. Linux is inherently more secure than Windows. This can happen either by having an authorized code signer accidentally disclosing his private key, or by having a certifying authority issue a certificate in error. For organizations with heterogeneous systems and a requirement for interoperability, “standards” that have been extended with proprietary code makes consistent flaw detection and bug fixing more time-consuming and difficult. Windows vs Linux: History. In many cases, turning off features is good since it makes a system more secure. The Linux v2.6 kernel provides protection against these dangers by placing restrictions on the level of access a non-open source driver or module has to the kernel. User Account Control (AUC) in Windows Vista, which means among other things that user programs run with restricted permissions and require the privileges of a super-user to perform sensitive actions, is a good step forward. 32. However, there is distinction between hardening infrastructure and hardening the operating system. Microsoft’s Shared Source Initiative is an attempt to meet customer requirements for looking at source code. Despite the fact that some people believe that it is possible to train anyone to be a Windows system administrator in one week, the question is how much will they understand about administration? Since your success in implementing and maintaining a secure operating system rests with your IT shops, make sure that they have the training and expertise to deploy, manage, and troubleshoot. Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows 2003 Server, and Windows CE are just a subset of Microsoft’s offerings. software, Web servers, email, smart card support. Outlook/Exchange will have the ability to preview email messages, so a user can delete a message without actually opening it. My goal here is to provide a framework for users to increase their understanding of Windows and Linux security capabilities. Strengths and Weaknesses. handling, Trusted Platform Module, Trusted Computing Many Linux users depend on non-open source drivers and other binary modules from hardware manufacturers and systems providers. Windows security expert Jonathan Hassell compares Windows and Linux security offerings in his first SearchWindowsSecurity.com column. Security updates for Friday; Active forum topics Montblanc sails the chronometry seas; Sky Recommended Add-ins and Links ; Sweatin' out the hits, maybe a shower or two; Phoronix Unity Is The Latest Company To Join Blender's Development Fund; OpenZFS File-System Merges Support For Using Zstd Compression; Linux 5.10 To Bring SLDT/STR Emulation To Help Some Windows Games On Wine; … administration, vulnerability scanners, Install and configuration tools, Bastille, mostly Stacey Quandt is a principal analyst at Quandt Analytics, where she covers key market trends important to IT vendors and corporate users of Linux and open source technologies. An example of this is Microsoft’s extension of Kerberos, a standard protocol. On top of paying for the operating system, most of the time, programs and/or utilities you may want to run on Windows will also cost you. Linux is somewhat superior due to continuing security issues with Microsoft IIS and Exchange/Outlook. As the technical innovation of Linux and Windows continues, so will the discourse on which is more secure. Strengths & Weaknesses of Linux Based Systems. If you are considering migration to a different operating system or upgrading your current product, select an operating system environment based on a qualitative analysis of security capabilities, rather than beginning with point products. One of the biggest advantages Linux has over Windows when it comes to security is its architecture. This paper deeply investigates the various security features of the two most widespread and successful operating systems, Microsoft Windows and Linux. With these scores in mind, I have absolutely no doubt that my data is safest on a Linux system than on a … SUSE is planning to achieve EAL4 by year-end. Identifying Strengths and Weaknesses of a Security Program Image. The problem is that although adding these drivers and modules is often useful, it is not necessarily beneficial to the operation of a Linux system. Linux base security is further enhanced by applications, such as Tripwire, that enable System Integrity Check functionality to periodically verify the integrity of key system files and warn those responsible for system security whether a file’s contents or properties have been changed. Tons of free software available through apt. thx dude.. this information is really important to me.. coz i got trouble doing my assignment thx a lot, linux security as far as i know is one of best security going.i would like to put on my computer i have northen its ok.what is the cost.send e-mail let me know,thanks for ur time.bob”’. Linux security benefits in the data center and on the desktop. On the flip side, Windows is ideal for novice users with little to no technical skills about matters computer hardware and software workings. exec-shield, McAfee, Symantec, Check Point, IIS, Though arguably safer than Windows because it’s less frequently used (a concept known as security through obscurity) it’s not inherently more secure. For example, Immunix offers a set of products, including StackGuard, and sub-domain LSM modules to configure a process to a specific system call. Microsoft attributes significant reductions in mainline products-including Windows Vista, Internet Explorer, and SQL Server-direction to their application static analysis, runtime security testing, and other. This won't be changing any time soon. The Windows operating system is designed to support applications by moving more functionality into the operating system, and by more deeply integrating applications into the Windows kernel. For users, the evolution of Linux and Windows has all the trappings of a muscle car drag race. Next: Key findings: Linux vs. Windows security capabilities, Key findings: Linux vs. Windows security capabilities. Security Enhanced Linux, or SELinux, is a package developed by the NSA. Government organizations, primarily, require CC assurance. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our, Recycle Old PCs with Symbio Technologies’ software, Review of Three Hyperledger Tools – Caliper, Cello and Avalon, New Open Source Projects to Confront Racial Justice, Free Introduction to Node.js Online Training Now Available, Sharing supplemental groups with Podman containers, The Linux Foundation Announces the Election of Renesas’ Hisao Munakata and GitLab’s Eric Johnson to the Board of Directors. Although every Linux distribution comes with patch management tools, system vendors and independent software vendors are also releasing third-party tools. Since processes within UML are not allowed access to the host system, it can be used as a sandbox to test software, run unstable distributions, and examine activities that could otherwise pose a risk. With Linux v2.6, the security architecture is now modularized. The apt-package system is better than any other current way of installing programs. Application security is improved for Microsoft-only applications on the .Net Framework. For software developers, the changes to remote procedure call permissions will make it a harder to write code that is not secure. This feature promotes stability, but does not place any new restrictions from a security point of view to stop a determined hacker from writing a malicious module. SUSE uses a process called AutoBuild to enable quality assured patches and bug fixes. You can’t … For example, Ximian Red Carpet’s automated dependency and conflict resolution provides both a Web interface and command-line capabilities. However, advances in operating system security are only as good as the users who take advantage of them. built into the kernel, Snort, Apache, sendmail, Postfix, PKCS 11, For example, a non-open source driver or binary module can overwhelm a system call and change the system call table. I’ve used it several times to make older XP computers relevant. Of course, for IT shops with heterogeneous platforms, e.g., Linux, Windows, Unix, and especially for applications built on Java, application security for Microsoft-only products is limiting. The expression is intended to suggest that proprietary software is … This service pack enhances Windows security by turning off some services by default and will also provide new patch management tools. Also, the tendency for Microsoft to mix data and program code in its applications, e.g., ActiveX, can allow untrusted data from outside the system and can cause the activation of arbitrary code with untrusted data. Shared Source Initiative licensees include corporate customers, governments, partners, academics, and individuals. SELinux, using a security scheme known as Domain Type Enforcement, can limit the impact of compromised applications or network services by separating applications from each other and from the base operating system. Microsoft added an authorization capability to the Kerberos ticket, and although Kerberos was initially defined for this specific purpose, the functionality was never used. Open source also forces Linux distribution providers to be absolutely transparent in the production process. By comparison, one thing comes clear; Linux is ideal for technical users to whom security and reliability is a big concern. Every UNIX-like system includes a root account, which is the onlyaccount that may directly carry out administrative functions. Since a recompile is not required for the exec-shield patch to work, this makes it easier to implement. For example IE / FF bug can take down entire windows computer. Windows, by contrast, has a horrid track record in this department. Author: Vivek Gite Last updated: October 28, 2004 0 comments. At Giga Information Group, a subsidiary of Forrester Research, she created the firm’s Open Source Research Competency and advised Fortune 1000 customers with published research and tactical and strategic advice on Linux. Also, the addition of a preemptive kernel, also in v2.6, reduces latency, which is likely to drive the use of Linux not only in the data center, but also for applications that require a deterministic kernel with soft real-time capabilities. What is most outstanding is Microsoft’s focus on enhancing security through improved usability. In contrast, under Linux the application runtime environment is a user space process and is not part of the operating system. For example, a number of Microsoft security exploits in 2003 were the result of an email attachment launching as an executable (e.g., MyDoom). The poor security architecture of past versions of Windows continue to haunt current users in the form lf legacy software that fails to install or even run, in many circumstances. People say even their grand mother could use it. "Security through obscurity" may be a catchy phrase, but it's not the only thing that's catching among Windows users. Despite the pragmatism of this initiative to add transparency and emphasize partnership, there are varying requirements organizations must meet to access and use Microsoft source code. This raises the question of whether the software will be able to distinguish a virus from a colleague’s spreadsheet extension. You'll see a trend in that Windows has FAR more viruses for it than Linux does and that's purely because it's more lucrative to hack for Windows since you have a greater chance of getting the thing you want. We need a list over Ubuntu's strengths and weaknesses. The overall majority of Microsoft security problems are due to poor configuration during deployment and operations. A variety of installation and configuration tools, e.g. However, Linux is superior because it offers, in addition, Linux Security Modules, SELinux, and winbind. If you are looking at getting a secure computer, you might be confused between the two most popular OS, Windows … A limitation of Windows base security is MSCAPI, which trusts multiple keys for code signing. How secure an IT infrastructure is will vary not only based on the Linux distribution and Microsoft product and service pack deployed, but also by what patches customers choose to implement. hahaha, how often do those anti-virus programs actually work? The number of patches and time required to test and deploy them can increase operational costs. While he says Windows is … Patch management under Linux is often easier because of the separation of kernel and user space, which reduces the number of potential significant security exploits. The magnitude of patching a Windows system is complicated by the tight integration of a Windows application runtime environment and operating system.

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