To Diversify or Not to Diversify: Reliance on Single-source Operating Systems is Debated

Microsoft's dominance in software could lead to serious consequences for the nation's cybersecurity, warns the business-technology consultancy, Gartner.   This is not because Microsoft's operating systems are inherently less secure, says a Gartner report.   Rather, it is that complete reliance on Windows for information infrastructure could result in a full system failure in a manner similar to an electrical blackout.   To prevent such a failure, Gartner suggests that by "spreading the critical business functions across multiple desktop platforms or by maintaining key operating groups on separate platforms, an organization can enhance its ability to keep at least some of its key personnel and processes functioning should a failure result." However, the Gartner report goes on to state that any decision to diversify the electronic desktop must be a fully committed decision to do the job correctly, because two-thirds of successful cyber-attacks take advantage of misconfigured systems.   Ultimately, tight administration of a single operating system will give more security than sloppy administration of multiple operating systems, concludes Gartner. For more information, visit: http://news.com.com/2100-7355_3-5088590.html. Summary by:   Tina Nanov