How to Choose an Operating System for Maximum Privacy

While every operating system manufacturer spends a lot of time and money in adding security features to their product, there are still some vulnerabilities and loopholes that are left behind. No operating system is 100% secure.

In general, an operating system that doesn’t interact with other software can be considered safe. So your DVD player system will not be attacked by malware as much as your computer.

But your computer operating system cannot be isolated, which is why there are chances for malware to leak in. Yes, nothing is malware-proof but some operating systems can be considered safer than the others.

Let’s take a look at some of the more secure operating systems to enhance your privacy.

Linux

Linux has always been the best choice among privacy enthusiasts. It can be customized and modified to suit your security requirements. If you’re a developer, you can easily patch any loopholes that you think might invite malware.

This ability of Linux is why it’s mostly safe from malware and hackers. Besides, it’s not generally used by regular computer users because they think it’s complicated. And since it’s not used by amateur users, hackers don’t target Linux systems anyway.

Linux is open source, which means it can easily be changed and modified to suit your needs. There are several free versions available and if you are new to Linux, you might want to try Ubuntu or Mint.
 

OpenBSD

It’s another open source and free operating system that’s popular because of its integrated cryptography and security. It’s also portable and is completely transparent.

If any security flaws are found, they will be made public as soon as they are discovered. This makes the software more secure since it’s easier to fix a flaw if it’s discovered on time.

OpenBSD has its own firewall and the desktop can be customized. However, the problem is that OpenBSD is not very user-friendly so you’ll need some level of technical skills to use it.
 

Mobile operating systems

Now that we have seen two most secure operating systems for your desktop computer, let’s take a look at some secure mobile operating systems.

The most popular mobile operating systems are Android, iOS, and Windows mobile. Of all three, Android is the one that’s the most vulnerable to malware. iOS is by far the most secure of all three choices.

You might not be using a secure operating system. And since people are accustomed to their preferred platform, they don’t want to leave it. If you’re a Windows user who has an Android phone, make sure you keep your software updated and use some security add-ons such as firewalls, antivirus, and VPNs.

This will give you extra security and keep you safe.