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On Fri, Jul 5, 2013 at 3:12 PM, Dale <rdalek1967@×××××.com> wrote: |
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> |
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> I had a interesting adventure the other day. A friend of mine's son is |
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> getting ready to go to college. Budget is tight so we went to find a |
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> used laptop for him. I went into the local puter shop and the techie |
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> guy there had a interesting statement that makes me think I'm not |
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> recommending them for computer service to anyone else. While we was |
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> chatting, he said that Linux is just as prone to getting a virus as |
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> windoze and so is a Mac. I think my laughing let him know I wasn't |
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> buying his comment. |
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> |
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> I since did some googling and it seems I am right and he just thought I |
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> was some know nothing guy he could sell some service too. Anyway, has |
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> anything changed to make Linux more prone to viruses than it used to |
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> be? I read a percentage somewhere that said like 99% of viruses are |
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> windoze only. Is there a indisputable source of information on this? |
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|
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There have absolutely been viruses and various root exploits for Linux |
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systems, but to say it is even 1% as many as Windows would probably be |
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a massive overstatement. |
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|
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Not that Linux or Mac are necessarily inherently more secure than |
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Windows, but Windows (and software that runs on Windows) is by far the |
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biggest target for bad guys, and the most used by careless users. |
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|
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On any operating system, proper maintenance with regard to security |
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updates, and smart behavior (don't run that EXE attachment the |
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Nigerian prince just sent you) will keep you safe. For people who |
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don't do that, Linux is typically set up more securely than Windows, |
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by default... but the person sitting at the keyboard is usually |
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capable of screwing it up more than any virus. :) |
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