Windows 7 'vulnerable to 8 out of 10 viruses'
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Independent Minds
Windows 7 is still virus vulnerable, warns a security specialist.
SophosLabs reported in its security blog that a test Windows 7 system on a clean PC was affected by 80 per cent of viruses.
Sophos' Chester Wisniewski, said engineers loaded a full version of Microsoft's recently launched operating system, and configured it to follow system defaults for UAC (User Account Control) without installing an anti-virus package.
Ten samples of net nasties that arrived in the SophosLab security feed were tested to, as Wisniewski put it "see how well the newer, more secure version of Windows and UAC held up".
"Unfortunately, despite Microsoft's claims, Windows 7 disappointed just like earlier versions of Windows," he wrote.
"The good news is that, of the freshest 10 samples that arrived, two would not operate correctly under Windows 7."
Microsoft's Security Intelligence Report released this week said the infection rate of a Windows Vista machine running Service Pack was 61.9% less than on an up-to-date Windows XP computer.
But only around one in five Windows users are using the new operating system or Vista.
"With millions of hosts still infected with Conficker, ZBot and Bredo, it is obvious a lot of unprotected machines are still out there, and it is no surprise that most of those are XP."
"But let's not get complacent," he said, "Microsoft seems to be saying that Vista is the least ugly baby in its family. You can be sure the next report will highlight its even less ugly younger sibling, Windows 7.
"Windows 7 is no cure for the virus blues, so be sure to bring your protection when you boot up."
Source: NZ Herald
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Comments
Maybe I can shake my window to get rid of the virus?
Avoid Microsofts products like the plague, there are plenty of excellent alternatives.
2. Sophos is hardly a stellar performer among security software anyway.
3. A properly configured Windows system is as secure as any other out there.
4. Alternatives will, by the nature of their market share, be vulnerable to less viruses. Generally, if someone is trying to cause trouble, steal data or whatever via this method, they're bound to target the most popular, most widespread OS.
It would be business suicide if you made an operating system that worked well, could be upgraded easilyand was secure. Unfortunately users would never use anything else, the company would collapse and Bill would be panhandling for a dime in no time.
As Microsoft is basically a software supplier it's in its best interest to sell shite software. Mac, on the other hand is a hardware supplier who just happens to make superior software. So when you're Windows OS gets too klunky or the cheap knock-off hardware bites the dust think about getting something better (and cooler!)
(This was written on a 7 year old iMac)