Linux vs Windows - Security

The reason i am writing this post is not becoz i am an expert in linux, but a newbie. As a newbie i think i know the difficuties involved in understanding new concepts and that helps me explain them better.

Linux is always known to be safe from viruses. I installed Ubuntu 7.0 in PC at home and was surprised to find that there was not even a single option related to the Root account.

To explain things better let me start with what a root account is, for the sake of readers who are new to linux. A root account is similar to the administrator account that Windows offers. An admin account gives you complete rights over the system - read,write,execute,install and even crash the system. I soon found out that this was one of the big reasons why Windows has 60,000 odd known viruses while Linux has less than 40. How?? Read on.

If you have installed Windows OS before you would be aware that, the set up provides you with an admin account right at the time of installation itself. Most viruses are transmitted as e-mail attachments. When the unsuspecting users get a mail like "Click here for cool WallPaper downloads", they click it and BANG!!! - in comes the virus. Why does this happen? Becoz you are the admin. The system doesnt interfere with whatever you want to do with it.

SO how does Linux avoid this mishap? Well, the very first thing you ll do when you install Linux is get yourself registered in a Linux forum(Really!! You cannot avoid that). And the very first advice that you will get from any Linux geek is that to think zillion times before you use the Root account(the admin). So, most of us will listen to that and well that is a huge prevention for viruses. When you try to run any executables from a non-admin account the system doesnt let you do that. So every time what you have to do is to log in as root and then click on the attachments and let the virus in. And since most users are known to be reluctant(or lazy) to switch and then come back to have a look at a silly attachment, safety is ensured.

But wait.. There is more to it. What if we dont listen to those geeks and use the root for everything? Then isnt that similar to running windows on a admin account? Yes!! But the latest versions of Linux have come out with an OS that does not have a root. Again the question comes up - So, what if i really want to run an exe that i know is safe? Wont the system
stop me everytime. For this they have a keyword in Linux called "sudo". I think it means - do things like a super user. So if you really want to run that exe, you need to use the sudo command. Now thats double protection. So if you want to run an exe you have to do some work to get it up and running.

Putting it all together - In windows, viruses have an easy way of making it in. But to bring a virus to a Linux box you have to work on it.


source: blogs/167603