Which OS is most prone to virus?

Snowbird · 12-30-2005, 12:18 PM

I was wondering? I use to have Win me and didn't have any virus protection (yes that ignorant), but I didn't have any problems. Now I have Win2k pro. Do these geeks that send out these virus pick certain OS's?

**Lyte** · 12-30-2005, 12:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Snowbird

Do these geeks that send out these virus pick certain OS's?

Yes and no. Yes, they'll pick the OS that is the weakest and offers the most opportunities for hacking and/or offers the least resistance against hacking. But then again, no because people like that will friggin' hack anything! :eek:

I'd definately get yourself some kind of virus protection because if you're working off a copy (not purchased/registered) of Win XP then you won't be entitled to any of the updates that close the holes (exploits) found in the OS.

Momo · 01-14-2006, 11:57 AM

It would seem that Windows is the one most prone to viruses, but that's probably because it's the OS most people use, and therefore the damage will be greater if these virus-makers attack this OS.

**Lyte** · 01-14-2006, 06:38 PM

Momo,

I think you're right. Plus, the type of people who creat viruses want to do the most amount of damge... thus they attack that which most people are using.

For example, it use to be that IE (Internet Explore) was getting the most attacks (vs. FireFox) but now than FF is getting up there in the numbers of users I have no doubt it's going to start getting hacked/hit as well!

Lyte

joey · 01-15-2006, 04:38 AM

As of late, mostly they've been targeted towards Windows XP exploits and (many, many) flaws in the the operating system itself, and internet explorer. IMO, Windows XP is better (in many ways) than say, windows 2k pro, however, with all of the new security holes and flaws found every day, it's just getting rediculous.

dgridley · 01-15-2006, 09:13 PM

MSFT needs to redesign their OS from the ground up and stop building on the previous releases, patching, and bloating their code. There are full-featured versions of Linux that will run off a flash drive.. try that with XP!

Kilojim · 01-17-2006, 08:40 AM

I'm lead to believe that different OS are vulnerable to different viruses. I believe there are viruses for example that would badly effect windows XP yet wouldn't effect windows 95 in anyway. Something that I thought was very strange.

joey · 01-17-2006, 04:12 PM

Well that's because they rushed windows XP, and a lot of the elements of it that make it work have flaws, exploits, etc.

Blade1941 · 01-20-2006, 06:12 AM

The easy answer to your question is windows, cause the most people use it and it has alot of exploits, unlike Mac X who said they will give out $ 350 000 Dollar to the one who could hack their OS, and I think that no one has succeeded to do that yet.

Regards, Blade1941.