Comments on: Microsoft's audacity at its best: "Our software is less of a security risk than Linux, Mac OS X"

Microsoft claims to have "fewer days of security risk" than Novell SUSE Linux, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and Mac OS X. My response? Show me the data.

[ashimmy]

Don't let your open source passion bias you

Matt- you are letting your open source passion bias your opinion. When you factor in how many computers run windows and the amount of time spent trying to "break" it, it probably is less of a security risk. You don't follow security much, so you are talking based upon your own use of Mac's for 5 years. When Mac represent more then 5% of market, watch the security problems fly!

[itry2hide]

5% is bogus - how about recent purchases???

Apple?s MacBooks are continuing to show strong growth in the industry as the company?s notebook share jumped almost two percent in May, according to market research firm NPD

Apple?s MacBook and MacBook Pros rose from 12.5 percent in April 2007 to 14.3 percent share of the market in May 2007.

While the desktops didn?t make out as well, they still rose from 10.2 percent to 10.4 percent over the same time period.

Maybe NPD is biased, but no more so that a Micro$oft shlum spouting numbers that no one has actually seen...

[ashimmy]

Matt stick to open source

Matt- you are letting your Microsoft bias blind you from the facts here. I have written more about this on my blog: http://www.stillsecureafteralltheseyears.com/ashimmy/2007/06/is-windows-less.html

[nomystics]

Right on, Matt...

But what you must understand (and maybe you do) is that this constant FUD is just "preaching to the choir." Microsoft knows full well that they are misrepresenting reality. They aren't trying to convert the people who know the facts like you and me and others, they are trying to keep the faithful like ashimmy from daring to stray from the fold. The FUD will never stop because its all they have left.

[appcrawler]

Exactly...

I noticed ashimmy's post, and just now ran a simple security test. I port scanned my wifes XP Pro laptop, and then my childrens Ubuntu desktop. The laptop has ports open for I'm not even sure what reason, and she does not install any software (not in the administrator group).

Ubuntu? Only 22, ssh...

Windows ships sucky, and gets no better with each release.

[Matt Asay]

My complaint is not a security complaint, Alan...

Alan: You're right to suggest I sometimes let my open source affinity skew my perception, but in this case I'm not arguing for open source against Microsoft. I'm arguing against closed data (how can I replicate this Microsoft guys' results? Karl Popper has taught me to mistrust anything that isn't falsifiable). I'm not suggesting that OS X will get more security attention once it gains market share - I'm sure that's true. That's not my point, either. I'm simply saying that I haven't had any issues on my Linux or Mac machines, and so a headline that suggests these platforms are "riskier" is false and misleading. It very well could be true, but the data don't show this to be the case.

I noted that Vista seems to be better. I noted that I wanted more data. What, exactly, did I do wrong, by your superior security credentials (and those I readily admit to and respect)? I just choose not to believe Microsoft until it proves its point or at least shows good intentions. Here it has done neither. Ergo, I remain unconvinced. That's all.

[devpaulie]

To ashimmy - web servers distribution

Here's a link to an analysis over the web servers
distribution worldwide:
http://news.netcraft.com/archives/2007/06/08/june_2007_web_server_survey.html
As anyone can clearly see, Linux & Apache is still the
most used configuration for web servers.

[itry2hide]

5% is old and wrong - recent shipments...

Apple?s MacBooks are continuing to show strong growth in the industry as the company?s notebook share jumped almost two percent in May, according to market research firm NPD

Apple?s MacBook and MacBook Pros rose from 12.5 percent in April 2007 to 14.3 percent share of the market in May 2007.

While the desktops didn?t make out as well, they still rose from 10.2 percent to 10.4 percent over the same time period.

Maybe NPD is biased, but no more so that a Micro$oft shlum spouting numbers that no one has actually seen...

[unipoly]

An audible whirling sound

Can you hear the sound produced by spin? From a page ripped out of a chuckling Pres. Bush "In my line of work
you have to repeat the message over and over.It's how you
catapult the propaganda." "Heh,heh" Well I guess the 800 metric tonne gorilla doesn't restrict its borrowing to reaching across the open source fence. On my tricycle are 3 wheels. Ubuntu and xp home cohabit and xandros is 3rd wheel.Guess which wheel squeeks the most.