Security - Is Microsoft a Monoculture?

There's been increasing discussion in the news about Microsoft being a monoculture. This idea, like many others in computer security, comes from biology. One of the things that protects a species is genetic diversity. When a disease comes along or mutates, some members of the species can be infected and killed, but others are immune, as it's a rare disease that can successfully attack all members of a species.

For example: between 1846 and 1850, Ireland suffered a terrible famine when potato blight destroyed virtually all of their crops. Their dependence on one crop that lacked genetic diversity made for disaster. Had they relied on multiple crops, or even different types of potatoes, the blight would have not caused nearly as much harm.

Many security experts believe that Windows has become a monoculture. Because they control a huge percentage of desktop systems, not only does Windows become the most popular target for virus writers, a single Windows vulnerability can impact almost every computer desktop.

Some people argue that the answer to this problem is for more people to use other operating systems, like Linux. And there is little doubt that the spread of Linux to desktops would at least slow the spread of some viruses (though if it became popular there is no doubt that there would be more viruses written to target Linux).

The good news is, you can improve the "genetic diversity" of your system without the extreme step of learning a whole new operating system. Most Windows vulnerabilities, especially the kinds you'll face as a home user, are those that attack through Email or the web - not those that go through other types of system services (that you can easily block using a firewall). You can avoid many of those attacks by using a different browser or Email program.

Popular alternative browsers (that include Email programs as well) include:

Netscape Browser - http://www.netscape.com

Mozilla Browser - http://www.mozilla.org

Opera Browser - http://www.opera.com

You'll want to keep Internet Explorer on your system as well (actually, it's virtually impossible to delete) because some web sites aren't tested well for other browsers. But using a different browser for routine browsing can provide some extra protection.