Which is More Secure: Linux or Windows?

Eugene H. Spafford and David L. Wilson have written an interesting article in The Chronicle Of Higher Education that tackles the controversy over whether Linux or Windows is ultimately going to be the more secure operating system.

Their conclusion, not surprisingly, is that both development styles–closed vs. open source–have strengths and weaknesses. It seems that even though “many eyes“ can review Linux for security vulnerabilities, few do. But Windows has problems too. The real cause of security problems, Spafford and Wilson argue, is not open vs. closed source policies, but the lack of attention to design and process.

Overall, it’s an excellent article. The URL will work for five days.

Update: It turns out that David Wilson did his master’s thesis on this topic. You can download it from the Cerias website