Why does windows get so much more malware than other OS out there?

[Bubble99]

Why does windows get so much more malware than other OS out there?

You keep reading in the news about hospitals and schools getting malware but don’t they have IT team and the computers are lock down and thus you can’t download and install apps with out admin account than why are they getting so many malware?

Is it because windows is less secure or more people attacking windows or windows needs to be built from the ground up.

 

[maflynn]

There's a couple schools of thoughts
First, window market share is currently sitting just under 70%, it used to be higher, so the folks that write malware will focus thelr time on the biggest platform. Also windows is the defacto standard in the enterprise, so gaining access to corporate networks, and resources, will be done through windows

Secondly, there were (and still) inherent weaknesses and vulnerabilities built into Windows. For instance, active x was a software framework that MS came out but it was inherently insecure, but then malware back in the 90s really were in the infancy.

Today, macos has threats and malware is increasing, so its not that macos is so secure that we never see any malware. in fact people's nonchalant and cavalier attitude towards safe computing could in of itself make it far easier for malware to make its way onto a mac.

 

[Bubble99]

How does Windows 11 stack up with malware compared to older Windows version is it better or worse now?

 

[maflynn]

How does Windows 11 stack up with malware compared to older Windows version is it better or worse now?

Do you mean in protection?
Microsoft's antivirus - Defender, is serviceable but there are better options if you want to lock your system down and protect better

 

[pshufd]

Do you mean in protection?
Microsoft's antivirus - Defender, is serviceable but there are better options if you want to lock your system down and protect better

I think that Windows Defender is fine if you practice safe computing. I will also run a MalwareBytes scan from time to time but I've not had any issues with Malware on my systems for at least the past decade.

My wife uses a Mac because it results in fewer tech support requests. I've done what I can to explain social engineering and malware and she asks someone if she's concerned about something in computing which has kept the bad guys away. My mother fell for this stuff in the offline world to the point where she was terrified to answer the phone. She got 30-50 scam calls per day and she had various accounts cleaned out a few times.

It is really an epidemic-level thing.