[LINK] security problems are not always Microsoft's fault

Kim Holburn kim at holburn.net
Thu Nov 6 20:18:25 AEDT 2008


> An Apple spokesman, Bill Evans, said Microsoft had previously issued  
> similar reports and declined to comment beyond saying that the data  
> was not supported by users’ experience of infections.

Being Apple he would say that wouldn't he?  But he makes a very good  
point.

And that's the critical thing isn't it?  The number of actual  
infections.  And whatever new fancy stuff is in vista (and I haven't  
seen infection rates in vista yet) we still have a huge number of  
systems running XP, 2000, 98, 95, ME, probably even 3.1.  Enormous  
numbers of machines that Microsoft is not updating any more, and worse  
it has gone on an anti-piracy drive with "Windows Genuine Advantage"  
which means it deliberately is not protecting pirated software,  
software which it created and which is subject to attacks and able to  
pass on those "infections" to people who have genuine copies.  (Why  
does this sound like the US health system?)

Anyone else had to remove "Antivirus XP" that someone they knew  
thought sounded like a really good idea?

On 2008/Nov/06, at 4:05 AM, David Goldstein wrote:

> Why am I not surprised amongst all the Microsoft bashing, some  
> justified, some not, on Link that a report that shows security  
> issues are not always Microsoft’s fault gets no mentions?
>
> Anyway, Microsoft’s Security Intelligence Report shows security for  
> Windows “has significantly improved, while at the same time the  
> threat of computer viruses, frauds and other online scourges has  
> become much more serious,” reports the New York Times. And security  
> vulnerabilities have shifted to individual programmes.
>
> “In comparing Web browser vulnerabilities in Windows XP and Windows  
> Vista in the first half of the year, the new report found that while  
> Microsoft could be blamed for half of the top 10 vulnerabilities in  
> Windows XP, the top 10 browser vulnerabilities under Vista all came  
> from third-party add-on software from companies like Apple and  
> RealNetworks.”
>
> Some media reports are available from:
> http://nytimes.com/2008/11/03/technology/companies/03security.html
> http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/askjack/2008/nov/03/windows-security
> http://www.siliconrepublic.com/news/article/11725/cio/volume-of-cyber-security-threats-on-the-rise-warns-microsoft 
> .
>
> David

--
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
Ph: +39 06 855 4294  M: +39 3494957443
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