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Open Source Is Not In Itself the AnswerOpen Source Is Not In Itself the AnswerPosted Jun 5, 2004 2:22 UTC (Sat) by Prototerm (guest, #20227)Parent article: Open Source And Viruses The problem of viruses, trojans, etc. is not a proprietary vs open source issue, but stems from the basic design of Microsoft Windows. As I have previously stated elsewhere: Windows, IMHO, is inherently insecure, mainly due to design decisions that go to the heart of the operating system. This cannot be corrected without fundamental changes to Windows, which no doubt would break nearly all existing applications. Applications and system services are integrated to operate together on a very low level. In many cases, they have to be in order to work. Notice the recent Microsoft announcement that XP Service Pack 2 will break some applications because of its security enhancements. When a flaw surfaces in one Windows application or service, it can seriously impact the entire system. This is like having repeated unprotected group sex with complete strangers. This goes beyond the question of allowing Outlook to execute code inside an email. The modular structure of Linux discourages this sort of behavior, helping to keep programs from interacting in ways they shouldn't. It has nothing to do with Open vs Closed, and everything to do with the heritage, and design philosophy, of Linux.
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