Linux servers praised for security

Software development managers rate Linux significantly higher than Windows server products for security, according to the latest research.

Over 6000 software development managers were asked in a survey conducted by BZ Media to rate the security of server operating systems against hacks and exploits. Linux was rated as 'secure' or 'very secure' by 74 percent of respondents, while Microsoft Windows Server was given one of these rating by 38 percent of respondents. Thirteen percent of respondents rated Linux as insecure or very insecure, a figure that rose to 58 percent for Windows server products.

A Yankee Group survey released last week found a similar, but less significant, difference between Linux and Windows server security. Yankee Group's survey asked IT executives from over 500 companies to evaluate the security of Linux and Windows on a scale of one to ten.

The respondents rated the security of Linux servers slightly higher than Windows server, with Linux scoring 8.3 out of 10 and Windows Server 2003 scoring 7.6.

Microsoft has consistently denied that Windows is less secure than Linux. It claims that Windows is more secure than open source alternatives because Microsoft fixes vulnerabilities quicker than Linux vendors are able to.

This claim is based on a Forrester report, Is Linux more secure than Windows?, which found that Microsoft had the lowest elapsed time between the disclosure of a vulnerability and the release of a fix. But the report has been criticised by Linux vendors who say it did not take into account the seriousness of the vulnerabilities.