linux beats windows. windows developers admit

http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,4149,1354524,00.asp



Survey: Windows Developers Say Linux More Secure
By Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols
October 16, 2003





Is Linux built more securely than Windows? According to a new survey, Windows and Linux developers both say yes—and for the first time, ranked it ahead of Windows XP

The September 2003 study from market-research firm Evans Data Corp. surveyed more than 500 North American participants, including VARs, ISVs, OEMs and corporate developers, according to Esther Schindler, senior analyst with Santa Cruz, Calif.-based Evans.

Linux scored high for innate security among respondents, more than two- thirds of whom "use or target Windows with their code." Indeed, only 23 percent of the developers were primarily Linux developers (an increase of 4 percent from a similar survey six months ago).

"It's not all that surprising that Linux is viewed as more secure by software developers," Schindler said. "Windows has had nearly weekly critical security updates from Microsoft, and three of four developers target Windows. Development experience talks."

Windows XP, the winner the last time around as the most secure operating system, dropped from 14 percent to 8 percent in the new study. Indeed, Schindler said, 22 percent of XP developers picked Linux for security, compared with only 12 percent of that group's votes.

Server 2003 now takes second place to Linux with an overall vote of 12 percent, even though "it's only being used by a handful of developers," Schindler said.

That handful, however, believes strongly in the relatively new Server OS, she said. "Linux is considered the most secure by all developer segments, except one. Among enterprise developers, 17 percent say that Windows 2003 is the most innately secure OS, and only 13 percent choose Linux."

Overall confidence in Linux is growing. In a fall 1999 survey, only 34 percent of developers felt the OS was ready for mission-critical applications, compared with 64 percent today.

It's not just Linux, though. Open source is also gaining ground in business-development circles. In spring 2001, only 38 percent of developers used any open-source software modules. Today, Evans has found that 62 percent of developers are incorporating open-source code in their applications.

Discuss

 

What's the point as long as Exchange Server won't run on Linux
Dolf

 

I am still a windows user. I have tried mandrake,red hat, and suse. All are pretty good distros I would assume. But I never did get the urge to switch all the way over. The reason I posted the article was it was the first time That I have seen where windows developers admited linux was more secure. And I thought someone else might find it of some small interest. Maybe B. gat#s himself

 

I suppose if 99.9% of all computer users are using Linux, Windows would be more secure in no time...
Dolf

 

I have no doubt you are 100% correct on that one. The sneaky ones that are writing all of the malware of all kinds are probably little wimps with nothing better to do but pick on the big guy (ms).

 

I just wonder that the recent flurry of patches that are coming from M$, that maybe they might finally be seeing the error of their ways? Or could it be just a "flash" in the pan?

 

They finally got sued specifcally over security holes and bad software. Maybe they have seen the writing on the wall.

 

http://kolab.kde.org/