Why is Windows more prone to viruses than Linux?

Answer 1

It is widely believed that the reason Windows is so prone to viruses is due to its popularity on the desktop, as Windows powers approximately 87% of the world's desktop computers. While this is true, there is actually much more to it than that, and it really has to do with the basic architecture of the operating system itself.

Windows, as well as DOS before it, was designed to be a single-user operating system. This means that the operating system is designed to let the user have free reign over the entire system. However, the system has no way to tell who's doing what on the system, and no means of enforcing who can do what. As such, virus-laden code can all too easily sneak in via the internet without your knowledge or permission.

Some versions of Windows, such as Windows NT, 2000, XP Professional, Server 2003, Server 2008, and Vista, have multiple user logins. However, Microsoft chose to preserve compatibility with programs designed for other versions of Windows, such as Windows 95, 98, or XP Home Edition, because those programs were used to having the whole computer all to themselves. As such, they had to do some fancy hacks to pull all that off, and in the process, they still left even Server 2003 and Server 2008 full of holes for hackers to exploit.

Apple's Mac OSX and Linux do not suffer from this problem. This is because they are designed from the ground up with security in mind, whereas Microsoft Windows was created for convenience with security being little more than an afterthought. Mac OSX and Linux both use a filesystem that has a strictly-enforced set of permissions that are attached to every file and folder in the system, and they spell out specifically who is allowed to do what with each file or folder.

In Windows, for a virus to infect your system, it first has to install itself onto your system. As previously stated, it's very common for viruses to do this without your knowledge or permission. But with Mac OSX or Linux, you have to have administrative privileges in order to install or uninstall a program. On Mac OSX or some Linux distributions, such as Ubuntu, all you do to install or uninstall a program is enter your password when prompted to do so before you will be allowed to proceed (quite a few other Linux distributions have you enter a root password instead, requiring you to remember two passwords, one for yourself, and the other for the all-powerful root account). If, in the case of Mac OSX or Ubuntu, you don't have administrative privileges, or in the case of other distros, you don't know the root password, you simply can't do it. And that's a good deal of why Mac OSX and Linux are way more secure than Windows -- because viruses simply don't have the authorization to do install themselves behind your back with Mac OSX or Linux.

Answer 2

Linux and other Unix flavored operating systems give every user specific "privileges" to perform certain tasks. If your user privileges are properly established, any processes that you attempt to run will not have more "privilege" than you and as such will not be able to write or modify sensitive areas of the operating system or system files.

Of course, all of the elaborate protections are moot if the Unix/Linux user uses the "root" or "Super-User" login to perform routine tasks.

I'm not particularly knowledgeable regarding MAC OS, but I'm sure there are equally robust protections involved.

Unfortunately, windows has implemented several system functions that are by their nature, not very robust. That, plus the fact that there are many who believe that DOS and windows were "Stolen" from other businesses. Many of those people believe that it is almost a moral obligation to expose the weaknesses of windows/DOS.

Answer 3

Windows was designed to be a single-user operating system which essentially means that any user had administrative privileges over the system. Viruses used to make use of such situation by installing themselves inside the system without needing any permissions.

The later windows improved security features but still in order to be compatible with older OS's programs ,the programs that used to access the whole system freely would still work in newer versions of windows and thats how viruses effect the system.

linux on the other hand has well defined file system where every program needs administrator privileges before it can install itself which is provided by root or user password ,since they are not available freely viruses just don't easily work on linux.

Answer 4

Windows is not the only operating system that gets viruses. However since most computers use Windows as their OS, that's what most viruses are made for. Linux is not as popular as Windows so there are fewer viruses written for it. Linux also has better protection against viruses.

Answer 5

What Pravjyot said is true but that is only part of the story. The rest is that Linux represents only about two percent of the entire PC market. Since the virus creators are making the viruses as a way to scam people out of money through one means or another, they want to look at the largest target market available. If you are going to invest your resources in a money-making venture, are you going to aim at only two percent of the market or at 93 percent of the market (as Windows currently occupies)? You will go after the largest audience, of course. If the roles were reversed and Linux had the lion's share of the market instead of Windows, then it would be attacked just as readily and have just as many viruses and people would think that Windows was less vulnerable because it would not be poked for exploits as often.

Answer 6

Windows is prone to virus attacks because it does not have an in-built anti-virus software. To prevent virus attacks, it is highly advisable to install the latest anti-virus.