Hackers already targeting viruses for Microsoft’s Windows Vista

“Hackers are already working on viruses for Microsoft’s upcoming Vista platform,” Matt Whipp reports for PC Pro. “According to Finnish security experts F-Secure, an Austrian virus writer known as ‘Second Part to Hell’ – from the ‘Ready Rangers Liberation Front’ group – has published his efforts on writing virus code for Vista’s MSH (Microsoft Shell) command line interface, including five viruses… plans for MSH remain unclear. Wininsider reports that the shell might be dropped from the release of Vista, as there was as yet no product scheduled in which it was due to ship, but Microsoft declined to comment further… even if MSH is disabled or removed from Vista on the desktop, it might still make an appearance in server products such as Exchange Server 12. But even here systems such as mail and web servers would still be vulnerable, deployed at the network perimeter.”

Full article here.

“Most security experts had not expected to see a Windows Vista virus so soon, Mikko Hyppönen, chief research officer with Helsinki’s F-Secure Corp. said. ‘The only surprise here is that it came so early,’ he said. ‘It’s been eight days since the beta of the operating system was out.” Monad was released several days prior to the Windows Vista beta,'” Robert McMillan reports for IDG News Service.

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Take: According to Apple, there are “close to 16 million Mac OS X users” in the world and there are still zero (0) viruses. According to CNET, the Windows Vista Beta was released “to about 10,000 testers” last week. So much for the security via obscurity myth.

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