Comparing the relative levels of security between two vastly different operating systems is, of course, a rather subjective matter.
After the much hyped, and sometimes maligned, Windows Vista the spotlight has once again been placed over Microsoft who have recently released Windows 7.
This is hot on the heels of Apple’s latest operating system for the Mac, Snow Leopard.
Nowadays security is one of the biggest concerns for any operating system.
Security Issues
According to security experts Secunia, Mac OS X is much safer than the Windows operating system as they found only 9 security issues with Mac OS X compared to 29 issues with the Windows product.
Does this paint a fair picture though?
Everybody knows that the Windows operating system is installed on many more computers than Mac OSX and that makes it a big and lucrative target for malware authors.
Therefore isn’t it just a case of scale that makes Windows appear to be less secure on first glance?
Windows 7 is, in my opinion, a far better product (in terms of security) than its previous versions.
Security Features
A whole host of features, such as Biometric Framework, fingerprint scanners, BitLocker and others make Windows 7 an amazingly secured operating system.
At the same time, the smaller market share of Apple Mac OS X, and the absence of third party programs, makes their operating system harder to hack (or less appealing at the very least).
For this reason, systems powered with Mac OS X suffer less attacks than their Windows counterparts, making the Mac appear to be extremely secure.
On the other hand, Windows 7 comes with dozens of security tools but its openness makes it’s monster security system look like an ordinary one.
Recently Windows Vista post-Service Pack 2 has been named as the safest operating system on the planet.
And it is quite obvious that Windows 7 will incorporate all the features of it’s successful predecessor.
If you are not satisfied by the security parameters of Windows 7 then you can tweak it further by using third party firewalls, antivirus and other protection programs whereas such a feature is absent in Mac OS X.
Hackers
But, Windows Operating Systems are easily undone by hackers, so the story MIGHT remain the same with Windows 7.
So this might compel you to use Mac OS X.
Comparing the security levels of Windows 7 and Mac OS X is difficult as both have their benefits and weaknesses.
Although operating systems have a major role to play in the security of your computer the ultimate responsibility lies with you, the user.
Having a secured Internet connection and good surfing habits are probably a more important consideration than which operating system you use.
Which is the most secured Operating System, Windows 7 or Mac OS X?
That is a never ending debate and one that can get quite emotional, as evidenced by the comments last time I wrote on the topic of whether an Apple Mac was more secure than a Windows machine.
What do you think?
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