Linux has been the underdog when it comes to popular consumer OS choices, but new research suggests that the platform outperforms Apple's macOS and Microsoft's Windows in two sections, security, and speed.

Linux Fixes Security Patches Faster than Apple and Microsoft

According to the story by ScreenRant, platform security is starting to become a more pressing concern when it comes to users. As of the moment, both macOS and Windows are often thought of as safer compared to Linux due to the multiple security patches and updates.

Despite how most people view Linux when it comes to security, the latest report suggests that Linux could actually be safer compared to the two most popular companies. The growth of malware has become a major problem when it comes to operating platforms as well as other software.

The Increase of Cyber Attacks Towards Organizations, Businesses, and Individuals

Targeted hackings have also started to become a major issue for "government agencies, politicians, journalists, and civil rights activists." Cyber-criminals are also targeting regular citizens putting pressure on software vendors to upgrade and patch security vulnerabilities as quickly as possible.

Over the course of the last few years, a host vulnerability was discovered in Linux, which has led to assumptions that the platform is less safe than others. As it turns out, however, this is not exactly true.

How Fast Does Linux Fix Its Security Patches

Google's Project Zero team's new research points out that Linux developers actually fix security bugs faster than their competitors. Quite interestingly, this means that they are faster at patching up security bugs compared to even Google for Chrome OS and Android.

In order to find out how fast the security vulnerabilities were patched, researchers examined bugs that took place in January 2019 and December 2021. The results showed that, on average, open-source programmers were able to fix the issue "in just 25 days."

How Fast Do Apple and Microsoft Take to Fix Its Security Patches

When compared to Apple, the Cupertino giant took about 69 days in order to fix the security holes found in macOS, while Microsoft took up to 83 days in order to patch up certain security vulnerabilities that were found in Windows.

In the meanwhile, Google and Mozilla took 44 days and 46 days, respectively, in order to fix the bugs. Oracle, on the other hand, took the most time at an average of 109 days for every bug to be patched.

Read Also: Microsoft Teams Meetings Now Targeted by Hackers to Spread Trojan Malware

Oracle's Data was Based on a Smaller Sample Size

To be fair, Oracle data, however, was based on a "small sample size of just seven bugs." In addition, the study also showed calculations regarding how long it took developers to fix certain vulnerabilities found on mobile operating systems.

Apple's iOS got 76 bug reports, and Apple was able to fix them at an average of just 70 days.

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Written by Urian B.