InfectMyPC.com Launches Search for Safest Operating System 

Two PC's & one Macintosh face-off online to see which will survive the longest under massive attacks from spam, viruses and spyware. Which will reign supreme?

Which operating system is the most secure? Windows, Linux or Mac? Jim Kukral, creator of http://www.InfectMyPC.com is going to find out by pitting two PC's and a Macintosh computer against each other in the ultimate battle to see which one will survive the longest under deliberate attacks from spam, viruses and spyware.

One PC will use Linux while the other will run Microsoft Windows. The Macintosh will use OS10. The challenge will be blogged daily at http://www.DiaryofDestruction.com where readers will be encouraged to suggest malware programs to install, as well as send in email viruses and spam to try and disable each machine. All machines will be data wiped and donated to a charity at the end of the experiment.

"Spam, viruses and spyware are a part of everyone's life online now," said Jim Kukral, site owner and internet marketing expert. "The average user is exposed to more and more hostile viruses and malware every day. Most people have no idea what's out there, lurking around in their hard drive and infecting their computer, and sometimes even stealing their private information like bank account codes and passwords. It's frightening to say the least."

"The point is, the average person doesn't have all the information they need, but this test will help them decide. I want to see which operating system will survive the longest under deliberate attacks from as much scary internet stuff I can find. Then, and in the process of seeing it all happen on the blog, we'll be able to better understand what we're dealing for educational purposes, and most importantly, we'll find out which operating system is the safest."

There are problems to overcome however. It is widely known that Microsoft Windows is far less secure than either Linux or Macintosh, yet, it is important to note that Windows accounts for the vast majority of installations.

In a recent report from Microsoft, the following was stated the following:

- Microsoft said that it found and removed malicious programs, called "bots" from six out of 10 Windows computers checked during a recent 15-month period

- They infect PCs with software that allows them to be controlled by an attacker to spread spam, attack websites or steal identity data

- 35% were implanted when victims opened attachments sent via e-mail, instant messages or peer-to-peer websites that share data files. Most of the rest spread with no action by the victim required

Source: USAToday.com (http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/computersecurity/wormsviruses/2006-06-12-microsoft-bots_x.htm)

"We've got to level the playing field a bit to make this experiment a fair fight. Most people use Windows, and the majority those users also use a virus protection program and built in firewall capabilities. That also means that a majority of viruses and malware applications are written specifically for Windows systems. So our test Windows machine will be equipped with the extra protection to mimic a regular user. Linux and Macintosh users don't often need extra protection, so those installations will stay standard."

Kukral will chronicle the entire experiment at the blog http://www.DiaryofDestruction.com where readers will be able to watch step-by-step how each machine is slowly corrupted. Blog readers will also be encouraged to submit email viruses to a specific email address, as well as suggest specific downloadable malware or spyware applications. 

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