“When you run a virtual machine in Virtual PC for Mac, the operating system that is installed on the virtual machine may be vulnerable to attacks by Windows-based viruses if the virtual machine is configured to connect to the Internet directly through Virtual Switch networking. In Virtual Switch networking mode, the Windows operating system directly connects to the Internet. As a result, it may be vulnerable to attacks from Windows-based viruses and other malicious programs,” Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 828574 states.
“If the Windows operating system is connecting to the Internet by using Shared Networking, it is in fact connecting through the Macintosh operating system and the Macintosh networking connections. This type of connection can help protect your operating system from network-based virus attacks. However, your [Windows virtual computer] may still be vulnerable to virus attacks through e-mail messages. Microsoft recommends that you use an antivirus program to scan all your incoming e-mail messages,” Microsoft Knowledge Base Article 828574 states.
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Funny! Microsoft is basically stating that Mac OS X is secure and it can shield Windows’ inherent insecurity from the Internet. Seems like the safest way to run Windows is on your Mac!
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Is Mac OS X really inherently more secure than Windows? – August 26, 2003
BusinessWeek’s Haddad gets it wrong; thinks low market share spares Macs from viruses – August 28, 2003
Shattering the Mac OS X ‘security through obscurity’ myth – August 28, 2003
Fortune columnist: ‘get a Mac’ to thwart viruses; right answer for the wrong reasons – September 02, 2003
Wall Street Journal’s Mossberg on making the switch from Windows to Mac – September 18, 2003
New York Times: Mac OS X ‘much more secure than Windows XP’ – September 18, 2003
Columnist tries the ‘security through obscurity’ myth to defend Windows vs. Macs on virus front – October 1, 2003
Gates: Windows ‘by far the most secure’ system; tries to use ‘Mac OS X secure through obscurity’ myth – January 27, 2004
Mac OS X has no viruses; what’s wrong with Windows? – February 11, 2004
SmartMoney: Long-suffering Windows users can only dare to dream of Mac’s ease-of-use – February 12, 2004
Spyware, adware plague Windows users online; Mac OS X users surf freely – April 19, 2004
Gartner: Worms jack up the total cost of Microsoft Windows – May 07, 2004
Windows ‘Scob’ virus designed to steal financial data, passwords; Macintosh unaffected – June 26, 2004
Tired of patching patches to patch Windows patches? Writer suggests getting a Mac – August 03, 2004
Mossberg: Dump your Windows machine and get an Apple Macintosh to free yourself of spyware – August 25, 2004
Millions of Windows PC’s hijacked by hackers, turned into zombies; Macintosh unaffected – September 08, 2004
Security is top priority in Apple’s Mac OS X – September 12, 2004
Windows XP worm speaks to users as it deletes their files; Macintosh unaffected – September 13, 2004
University of Chicago recommends all students patch Windows at least once a day – September 14, 2004
USA Today columinst angry about Windows viruses, adware, spyware – September 15, 2004
Windows besieged by hackers; number of Windows viruses soars by more than 400% – September 20, 2004
USA Today: people are switching from Windows to Mac because of security issues – September 21, 2004
Mossberg: Apple iMac G5 ‘powerful, affordable, virus-free with better, more modern OS than Windows XP’ – September 23, 2004
Information Security Investigator says switch from Windows to Mac OS X for security – September 24, 2004
Cyber-security adviser uses Apple Macintosh to avoid Windows’ security woes – September 27, 2004
Even Bill Gates can’t avoid Windows malware; Mac users surf the Web freely – October 03, 2004
Windows desktop monopoly threatened by secure, safe Apple Mac OS X – October 04, 2004
Windows users’ security woes spark interest in Apple’s secure Mac OS X – October 06, 2004
One guy from Finland;
Finland?
In any case; it takes an SOB to be obsessed with one.
and you are obsessed.
I am not obsessed about Bush.
That psycho is obsessed about guns and explosives ie is armed and dangerous. Unfortunatly that SOB can send troops where ever he likes and nobody questions his motives.
i put os x on here and the thing still managed to go into AUTO SHUT DOWN IN 40 seconds mode.. cool huh?
er.. i mean.. i put Winxp on my mac and still got… yada yada..
Snagg…. Since WHEN does Dell offer FREE support for 3 years… Been purchasing extended warranties on Dells since 1989. Standard $499 system comes with 1 year. Standard Business system comes with 3 years BUT it is a separate line item that has a cost….
As for Apple support, every system I purchase or have a client purchase also gets Apple Support for three years. I have had need to use it on only one machine twice. The logic board for video on my own iBook has needed to be replaced twice. Both times I have received shipping box on day 1, sent it out on day 1, Apple receives, fixes, and ships on day 2, and I have working unit on day 3.
Thats what I call service….
snagglepuss — I have worked for IBM and Compaq, and I have worked on deployments of 1500-2500 PCs at large companies. Your supercilious attitude in dealing with a telephone support person would probably be grounds for disciplinary action in my organization. If I were the hiring manager and you displayed that kind of attitude during the interview, I’d immediately show you the door and not bother with the behavioral or situational questions even if you knew SMS2003 and Metaframe XP inside out.
Listen!!! i’m not attacking just anyone who use Virtual PC. if u have to use it because u have no choice, then go use it!!! and i’m sure it’s used as a “crutch” by recent switchers to wean them off of windows. there are also those who like to run virtual pc on their machines just so they can run those stupid little programs that will probably never be ported to the mac. they want the best of both worlds. i just wanna make these people aware of the danger in doing so. u are essentially giving money to microsoft to expand their OS monopoly even more. if u dont need it in ur mac, dont get it.
When IDC gathers statistical data of how many computers use windows, they also count those little gadgets and cash registers that run MS software. I’m sure they gladly count those macs that run VIrtual PC as well to give a distorted number and a false sense that windows is more widespread than it truly is.
I control Bush remotely and have just ordered him to invade Finland. He will liberate all of your grapefruit juice and vodka spritzers and your albums by “Sweet”. Never again shall you call the President an SOB. He is most assuredly NOT from South Of Boston (unless you mean Texas, but I don’t think you do)! I know Dubya will find lots of WMDs in Finland — Wanna-be Macintosh Dudes. Or maybe White Male Depressives.
What happened to snagglepuss when he called Apple was exactly what was supposed to happen – Apple did NOT make a mistake there.
When you buy a computer, you should register it with Apple, telling them when you bought it – and they will then start the warranty at that time.
If you don’t register, then Apple has NO WAY of knowing when you bought it, so they can only go on what date they shipped to the supplier. Which is why a very new Mac can APPEAR to be out of warranty.
This is what happened to me, and it seems to snagglepus – but there is an easy way to fix it. You simply take it to any authorised reseller/service centre, with proof-of-date-of-purchase, and they will advise Apple of the date the warranty SHOULD have started from – and your computer then gets fixed.
Hey, wait a minute – isn’t “taking it to an authorised service centre” EXACTLY what the Apple Customer Support person told snagglepuss to do? Yes, yes it was. Like I said, Apple did NOT make a mistake there.
snagglepuss, I don’t believe for one second your ridiculous claims about malware, because extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof. And further, I don’t believe for one second that you are actually in IT supporting Macs, because if you were, you would have known about such a basic thing as the necessity of registration.
“i’ve never had to call them (MS) for windows or office support” – ah ha ha ha ha ha ha. Oh, mercy. Wow – thanks for that. It is election day here in Oz, so I needed a good laugh.
I’ve had to contact AppleCare twice, once with a broken PowerBook keyboard (that got fixed for free) and once for a dead iPod (that got replaced for free).
However, I have had Dell take money from both me and my clients and then f*ck about to the point where weeks later the server hardware has not even arrived and nobody is returning my phone calls, even though they still have tens of thousands of my and my client’s money in their bank account, and on the only other occasion I used them I ordered 1600 identical PCs and had the second batch of 300 turn up with completely different graphics chips and NICs despite the machines having the same product number. To make matters worse in that case, it took Dell days to admit their mistake and agree to take back the crappy units, by which time I was nearly two weeks behind with the project schedule and had to work seven days a week for the next month to get back to finish the rollout on time. The servers got cancelled, with the money going to HP in the end, and after the disgraceful excuse for support I received with the PCs I vowed never to use that bunch of incompetent arseholes again.
Dell support good? Bullshit.
Heres an idea: Apple could make a firewall that uses OSX’s Shared Networking. Protection for windows users in a $99 package, want complete protection? Get a Mac mini.
This article clearly reflects Mac users have no idea how virtualization nor is networking works. Virtual Switch feature in VPC virtual share the same IP and network resource as if a normal Windows box with no firewall at all. MS is assuming that a person is trying to install a Windows XP without SP2. Since every copy of Windows XP you can get nowsdays are all SP2 slipstreamed and SP2 come with a firewall, it’s kind of a moot point anyway.
However, running VPC in Shared Networking mode means VPC created a virtual network within a Mac. It’s equal to running a NAT setting with a Mac/Router being as a internet gateway. The Guest OS Network is running “behind” the Host Network, since it created a virtual network segmentation it’s automatically safer. It’s not about Mac being safer or not, it’s just the way of the networking.