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In my house, i'm running a server I use for testing purposes, and I'm planning on throwing away my knackered router, and making the server my Gateway to the internet and using it as a server for several other applications (mostly on IIS), as well as desktop interaction with my desktop pc.

Now the server is running Windows Server 2008, and im not sure if maybe using an old computer (still fast) as a Linux Gateway instead, and have it point specific ports to the server. Don't really know about security, and I was wondering either how Linux could be more secure or Windows could be more secure.

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Not sure if this warrants being a wiki or not, but if so, could someone rectify that – cgoddard Dec 14 '11 at 2:55
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closed as not constructive by Shane Madden, Zoredache, splattne♦ Dec 14 '11 at 6:48

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2 Answers

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This seems like a subjective question at first glance. That being said, although I am sure Windows could do a sufficiently good job, I'd choose Linux for a few reasons:

  • Stripping down Linux to what you need for a gateway is inherently simple.
  • You could find Linux distros specifically targeted for this purpose.
  • Because of the popularity of Windows, it is a big target for people with malicious intentions. This makes updates crucial. I'd rather harden a Linux server and not fuss over updates.
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up vote 1 down vote

Go with the OS you know the best. You'll have a tough time making an unfamiliar OS secure.

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