Break the Windows habit to gain computer security

By: BRADLEY J. FIKES - Staff Writer | Saturday, July 3, 2004 10:23 PM PDT ∞

You can cut the risk from malicious software or hacker intrusions to nearly zero in just one step. That step is to stop using computers with Microsoft's increasingly vulnerable Windows operating system.

By using computers running the Linux or Apple Macintosh operating systems, you eliminate the vast majority of risks from malicious software. Add a good firewall and anti-virus program to become the next best thing to invulnerable.

That has been my experience for the last eight months: running a Linux-powered computer at home. I don't have to worry about my Web browser being hijacked by spyware. I don't have to turn off HTML in my e-mail reader to avoid getting infected. When the latest Windows viruses land in my e-mail box, I just laugh while hitting the delete key.

The common tasks an average computer user performs on a Windows PC are just as easy, if not easier, on Linux. These include Web browsing, writing e-mails and documents, doing spreadsheet calculations, ripping music CDs to MP3 format, and working with digital photographs.

One great exception must be mentioned: computer games. There are far fewer of them for Linux than for Windows, although the number for Linux is growing. Since I don't play many computer games, I find the natural security of Linux an easy trade-off.

All of the most dangerous software threats that the average computer faces are specifically designed for Windows. Many of them work through Microsoft's Internet Explorer or Microsoft's Outlook or Outlook Express e-mail programs. People or companies running these programs come dangerously close to daring the Internet's bad guys, "Infect me!"

Yes, you can secure these programs with layers of anti-virus, spyware and firewall safeguards. But you have to keep these safeguards up to date, and there is always the risk that a new form of attack or one moment of carelessness will let a digital intruder trash your computer or steal your private information. Why take that chance if you don't have to?

There are a few viruses that affect versions of the Mac and Linux systems. However, they are extremely rare in comparison to the epidemic of Windows infestations. There are more than 70,000 Windows viruses, 100 Linux viruses and ---- amazingly ---- no viruses for the Mac OS X operating system.

Opportunity is one reason why this is so. Industry experts say 95 percent or more of computer attacks target Windows. This is partly because of Windows' popularity: It resides on roughly 95 percent of personal computers. With more computers to attack, it's a juicier target for hackers and scammers.

But Windows is also inherently more vulnerable to attacks because of its focus on networking features, many of which are enabled by default and are dangerous to expose to the Internet. In Linux, network features tend to be disabled by default. And the Internet Explorer browser has design flaws that have been used for years for attacks with arcane names such as "buffer overflows."

Until recently, the terms "average computer user" and Linux were an odd pairing. But there are now versions of Linux that are as easy to use as Windows, or even easier. (There are also versions of Linux intended for hard-core geeks.)

User-friendly Linux flavors include Linspire, made by San Diego's Lindows Inc. (www.linspire.com), and Xandros (www.xandros.com), made by the Ottawa, Canada-based company of the same name. Read more about Linux at www.linux.org.

Macintosh users may feel slighted in this review. In fairness, it needs to be said that nearly everything said about Linux applies to the Mac. However, Linux has the advantage in price, because it runs on the cheaper Windows-compatible PCs.

Linux generally requires less horsepower to run than the latest versions of Windows. That means a computer underpowered for Windows XP may work just fine when loaded up with Linux.

And for those of you who admire the Mac hardware, it is possible to run Linux on a Mac ---- if you don't mind strange looks from both the PC and Mac camps.

Contact staff writer Bradley J. Fikes at (760) 739-6641 or bfikes@nctimes.com.

First name only. Comments including last names, contact addresses, e-mail addresses or phone numbers will be deleted. Attempts to misrepresent your identity or impersonate any person will not be approved. All comments are screened before they appear online, so please keep them brief. Comments reflect the views of those commenting and not necessarily those of the North County Times or its staff writers. Click here to view additional comment policies.