Linux vs. Vista - How Does Security Stack Up?

Linux outperforms Windows XP and Windows Vista because its architecture is different. Linux derives its security in large part from its Unix design philosophy, also used as the basis for Mac OS X. There are two distinct differences that account for Linux's better security reputation, according to Cherry. One, users do not habitually log in as administrator, which is often required to run Windows. Two, mail clients and desktop applications do not automatically execute attached code.

In addition, technologies such as SELinux and AppArmor and stack randomization have been developed for Linux that help to limit the impact of a security breach if it were to occur, he said. Linux is also better than Windows at recovering from buffer overflows, which are a common attack vector.

"This is best handled at the interface level as a register exploit in Windows," Ken Sternberg, CEO of computer-security firm Savant Protection, told LinuxInsider. Linux allows software developers to go into the system and fix buffer overruns, he added. However, one can not do that with Windows.