[LINK] Re: Windows XP versus Vista

Johann Kruse whassaname at gmail.com
Sun Jan 27 09:40:04 AEDT 2008


From: <grove at zeta.org.au>
Sent: Saturday, January 26, 2008 11:14 PM
To: "David Goldstein" <wavey_one at yahoo.com>
Cc: <link at anu.edu.au>
Subject: Re: [LINK] Re: Windows XP versus Vista

> On Fri, 25 Jan 2008, David Goldstein wrote:
>
>> The report acknowledged that, while malware for Macs has long existed,
>> criminal gangs have not felt the need to target Mac users when there
>> are so many poorly protected Windows PCs available.
>> http://www.rte.ie/business/2008/0125/hackers.html
>
> The most recent exploit is really a "phishing" expedition.
> Unlike a virus or trojan:
>
> 1) the user must first access the site, entailing coming across it at 
> random.
> 2) the user must then run the suspicious looking test.
> 3) the user must then choose to download the package
> 4) the user must then give authority to install the package.
>
> Only after all criteria are met does the exploit get onto your Mac.
> A virus or trojan really only needs one of either 1 or 3 to be breached. 
> Windows allows the ordinary user to install programs
> as a non administrative (root) user.  While Macs can do this, in general
> they are configured to not be as lax by default.
>
> MSW is so insecure that just visiting a site can activate all sorts
> of nasty stuff.   Downloading a package or opening an attachment can 
> install stuff unwarrantedly.  On a Mac, getting the same level of 
> compliancy from the OS is a lot harder.


Sorry if I sound like a broken record (my previous emails), but you 
specifically mean Windows XP and older - Vista is the same as the Mac you 
describe.

Cheers,

Johann 




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