Is the reason that everyone that get viruses, is from having a Microsoft program installed already, from the d
September 1st, 2009 Posted by: admin
Is the reason that everyone that get viruses, is from having a Microsoft program installed already, from the date of purchase?
Is Microsoft a 100% safe to use, from spreading viruses?
Is Microsoft a 100% safe from catching viruses, while on the net?
By: Autumn Storm
Tags: Microsoft, Microsoft Program, Reason
September 2nd, 2009 at 10:39
Microsoft systems have always been difficult to secure due to the fact that most things need admin rights or nobody would ever be able to change them. They are, however, the easiest operating system to use fro a new user. With Vista, and to a certain extent on XP this has changed, even if something requires a change the machine will stop and confirm it, and on Vista in many cases may ask for the administrator password. This allows blocking of most malware, but you still require anti-virus to block bad emails as you are already demanding the machine to collect them. he new system puts Microsoft more in line with other operating systems for security. Other systems require a little more knowledge to attain full use, and Windows does have the biggest selections of readily available software.
September 4th, 2009 at 14:48
Colinc is completely correct but as a self-professed Microsoft-hater of a certain age, I want to expand on a few points.
Having a Microsoft program installed per se is not sufficient to get you viruses. As the most common OS people who want to subvert large numbers of computers will tend to write for them. This is especially easy as Microsoft tends to have programs do everything in administrative space, where you can compromise the system easily. Further compromising the situation: Microsoft has bought several “advertising” firms whose content is no different from spyware, and like other companies such as Sony seems to suffer from the delusion that the maker of a given program is more important in deciding whether it is malware than the algorithms and technology used (I seem to remember some cases of computers compromised by black hats familiar with the technology behind those SONY DRM rootkits specifically arranging for those rootkits to be patched. Malware is malware no matter who writes it). And of course Vista does not work very well with every Anti-Virus provider. Obviously, Microsoft is not safe.
On the other side, Unix has always differentiated between Administrative space and User space. Administrative space has always been where the code for programs reside but User space (except for basic OS stuff) is where it is executed. Since User Space programs don’t have root access, that means that essential files and directories are less likely to be compromised by malware.
It does not mean they will not be compromised by malware. Linux recently posted a warning to upgrade your kernel past 2.6.24.1. Most people don’t know what it means — and I have an old laptop which can’t run any kernel past 2.6.23. There are people with specific reasons to compromise or hurt even strangers’ computers (I didn’t say good reasons: just specific ones. I’ve met a few people this has happened to, heard of a lot more and, I suspect, met a few people who’ve done it.) In addition there are viruses out there for Unix-derived OSes. Since Unix-derived Oses include (but are not limited to) Mac OS Jaguar and Leopard and Linux, that means NO OS is 100% safe from catching or spreading viruses. And obviously some of us wish Microsoft would do a lot more.