 |
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
COMPARING OPERATING SYSTEMS: LINUX VERSUS WINDOWS
Both Linux and Windows are types of operating systems. Although
they perform similar functions their properties and benefits
are different.
What is an operating system?
It's a vital piece of software that determines what we do
with a computer and how we do it. Whether we are surfing
the Internet or compiling code, the operating system ensures
the user's actions are interpreted into something the computer
can process.
Defining these systems
Linux |
Windows |
| Linux can be described as being a Unix-type operating
system. The system has been written and is distributed
under the GNU General Public License. This means that
its source code is freely-distributed and available to
the general public. |
Windows is the operating system from Microsoft. The
Windows source code is proprietary. This implies that
only Microsoft programmers can see it and work on it
(Rustybrick.com, 2005). |
Exploring the history of these
systems
Windows
In 1980 IBM hired Paul Allen and Bill Gates to create an
operating system for a new PC. They developed the simple
operating system known as DOS, which was the starting point
for Windows (Computer Hope, 2005). As technology developed
over time, the system advanced significantly. The latest
version of Windows, which is commonly used today, is known
as Windows XP. New developments are continually on the
rise and the latest version of Windows, code-named “Longhorn”,
is expected to be introduced into the market soon.
Linux
Linux was created by Linus Torvalds when he was a student
at the University of Helsinki in 1991. He started Linux
by writing a Kernel (i.e., the heart of an operating system).
This was done partly from scratch and partly by using available
software. He then released this system to his friends and
to a community of “hackers” on the Internet
and asked them to work with it, fix it and enhance it.
This is how this system came into being (Negus, 2004).
|
|
|
|
|
Comparing security properties of Windows and Linux operating
systems
The following table examines various security issues that
can be considered in comparing these systems with each other.
Main advantages
Linux |
Windows |
| The main benefits of Linux revolve around its price
and reliability. A further advantage is that this system
is always available to download freely from the Internet. |
The main advantage of Windows is that it is simple
to use. There is also a great amount of technical support
available (Negus, 2004). |
Comparing properties of Windows
and Linux operating systems
The following table examines a number of specific properties
of these operating systems and briefly summarises how they
compare with each other.
| Property |
Capability |
Linux |
Windows |
Conclusion |
| Deployment and operations |
Installation, configuring, hardening, administration,
vulnerability scanners |
Install and configuration tools, Bastille, mostly admin
through command line interface, Nessus, distribution-
specific Up2Date, YaST, Webmin |
Install and configuration tools come with Windows,
no specific hardening tool, admin GUI, security by default
has been emphasized lately |
Both are comparable |
| Assurance |
Common Criteria Certification, flaw handling |
Linux has achieved EAL3 and has good flaw handling |
Windows has EAL4 and good flaw handling |
Windows is superior |
| Trusted computing |
Trusted Platform Module, Trusted Computing Software
Stack, instrumentation, attestation |
Trusted Platform Module device driver open sourced
by IBM, Trusted Computing Group software stack is targeted
for 2005 |
Next-Generation Secure Computing Base, possible availability
with Longhorn 2006 |
Neither is superior |
| Open standards |
IPSec, POSIX, Transport Layer Security, Common Criteria |
Linux meets all open standards |
Microsoft participates in open standards but has some
proprietary standards. |
Linux is superior |
| Property |
Capability |
Linux |
Windows |
Conclusion |
| Base security |
Authentication, access control, cryptography, audit
trail/logging |
Pluggable Authentication Module, plug-in modules, Kerberos,
PKI, Winbind, ACLs, LSM, SELinux, Controlled Access Protection
Profile audit, kernel cryptography |
Kerberos, PKI, Access Control lists, Controlled Access
Protection Profile audit, Microsoft crypto application
programming interface |
Linux is superior |
| Network security and protocols |
Authentication, layer, network layer |
OpenSSL, Open SSH, OpenLDAP, IPSec |
SSL, SSH, LDAP, AD, IPSec |
Both are comparable |
| Application security |
Antivirus, firewalls, intrusion detection software,
Web servers, email, smart card support. |
OpenAV, Panda, TrendMicro, firewall capability built
into the kernel, Snort, Apache, sendmail, Postfix, PKCS
11, exec-shield |
McAfee, Symantec, Check Point, IIS, Exchange/Outlook,
PCKS 11 |
Linux is somewhat superior |
Conclusion
It can be concluded that not one of these operating systems
are truly superior. It all depends on the purpose for which
the system is being used. Personal preference plays a big
role in this regard. Windows is generally more popular
when it is being used as a workstation (a regular desktop
PC) and Linux is more popular as a server, more specifically
a web server. Our main business at Intoweb revolves around
web development. It is for this reason that we support
the Linux operating system mainly because of its security,
cost-effectiveness and open-source benefits.
Article by:
Stephan Kriel
|
Fill in this form below if you are interested in getting your website analysed by our professionals.
COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE
|
|
|
 |
