“Four years ago, Bill Gates dispatched a companywide e-mail promising that security and privacy would be Microsoft’s top priorities. Gates urged that new design approaches must ‘dramatically reduce’ the number of security-related issues as well as make fixes easier to administer. ‘Eventually,’ he added, ‘our software should be so fundamentally secure that customers never even worry about it,'” Adam L. Penenberg writes for Slate.com. “Microsoft customers haven’t stopped worrying. A year later, Windows was hit with several nasty worms, including Slammer, Sobig, and Blaster. The viruses caused major traffic bottlenecks throughout the world, which cost tens of billions of dollars to clean up. Vulnerabilities deemed “critical” have forced the company to release an almost unending stream of patches and fixes to the Windows operating system, Microsoft Office, and Internet Explorer. Just last week, another problem reared its head—a security hole that could allow Windows users to become infected with adware, spyware, or viruses by simply viewing an e-mail, instant message, or Web page.”
“While the company claims that Vista will be more secure against hack attacks, the computer security professionals I talked to are skeptical. ‘We hear this each and every time Microsoft comes out with a new operating system,’ says Brian Martin, an independent computer security consultant. ‘It is still built on the same legacy code, it is still written without adhering to secure coding practices, it is still thrown to the masses without adequate security testing.’ Richard Forno, a principal consultant for KRvW Associates and a former senior security analyst for the House of Representatives, believes that Microsoft is a threat to national security,” Penenberg writes.
“Microsoft’s security problems are only going to get worse. The company designs its products to work together, creating a Microsoft monoculture. Because there are so many shared paths from Internet Explorer, Outlook, and Windows Media Player into the operating system, if you exploit one, you exploit them all. Vista promises to continue this consolidation by making the operating system the glue that connects users to their PCs, televisions, PDAs, and portable music and video players,” Penenberg writes. “What can you do to protect yourself? Besides avoiding Microsoft products, one way would be to use substitutes whenever possible. If you run Windows or the upcoming Vista, use a different e-mail program, browser, and/or media player than the ones that come in the box. Stay up to date on patches and anti-virus software. And the next time Bill G. promises to make software that is so fundamentally secure that customers never have to worry about it, ask him what decade he plans to release it.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Macintosh. Because life’s too short.
Advertisements:
Get Free Shipping on Top-Rated iPod and Mac Accessories
The New iPod with Video. The ultimate music & video experience on the go. From $299. Free shipping.
Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.00.
The New iMac G5. Built-in camera and remote control. From $1299. Free shipping.
Apple USB Modem. Easily connect to the Internet using your dial-up service. $49.00.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Mac tips for former Windows users – December 28, 2005
Switching from Microsoft Windows to Apple Macintosh – December 04, 2005
Apple’s Mac OS X, Safari web browser show market share gains – December 03, 2005
Want to switch to Mac? Mossberg answers common questions – November 10, 2005
Why people are switching from Microsoft’s Windows to Apple’s Mac OS X – November 09, 2005
Windows PC retailers face tough holiday season, meanwhile Apple stores are packed as Mac sales surge – November 09, 2005
Analyst estimates over a million Windows to Mac switchers during 2005’s first three quarters – November 07, 2005
Windows sufferers: It’s not your fault, but it is your problem – switch to Mac – November 07, 2005
Tech writer: Windows PCs highly vulnerable to zombie hijacking; get an Apple Mac instead – November 06, 2005
Windows switchers, now’s your chance: Apple Mac mini with Mac OS X Tiger for $379 – November 03, 2005
Computer columnist: anti-virus software purely optional for Apple Macs, not so for Windows – November 01, 2005
Microsoft apologists and why Apple’s Mac OS X has zero viruses – October 24, 2005
Mossberg: Switching from Windows to Mac – software not an expensive proposition – September 30, 2005
Windows to Mac switchers: recommendations and Total Cost of Ownership analysis – September 29, 2005
Switching from Windows to Mac is easy and liberating – September 14, 2005
Mossberg offers resources for Windows users interested in switching to Apple Mac – August 18, 2005
Windows users’ questions and concerns answered about Windows to Mac switch – July 27, 2005
Get your Outlook info off your PC and onto your Mac – March 05, 2003
The best way to transfer Windows Outlook folders to Mac OS X – January 22, 2003
Yahoo’s CES keynote riddled with glitches due to unreliable Microsoft Windows – January 06, 2006
F-Secure recommends Windows users go back to text-only computing – January 03, 2006
Microsoft Windows’ Zero-Day WMF flaw threats widespread; Macintosh unaffected – December 29, 2005
Security company Sophos: Apple Mac the best route for security for the masses – December 06, 2005
Microsoft Windows virus spreads rapidly; Apple Macintosh unaffected – November 28, 2005
Computer columnist: anti-virus software purely optional for Apple Macs, not so for Windows – November 01, 2005
Microsoft apologists and why Apple’s Mac OS X has zero viruses – October 24, 2005
NY Times’ Pogue: Apple’s iMac G5 with sleek, virus-free, spyware-free OS earns place in living room – October 19, 2005
$500 bounty offered for proof of first Apple Mac OS X virus – September 27, 2005
Symantec: 10,866 new Microsoft Windows virus and worm variants in first half 2005 – September 19, 2005
How to avoid viruses and malware? Dump your Windows PC and get an Apple Macintosh – August 22, 2005
Do Apple Mac OS X users need antivirus software? – August 22, 2005
ZDNet: How many Mac OS X users affected by the last 100 viruses? None, zero, not one, not ever – August 18, 2005
Hackers already targeting viruses for Microsoft’s Windows Vista – August 04, 2005
16-percent of computer users are unaffected by viruses, malware because they use Apple Macs – June 15, 2005
Intel CEO Otellini: If you want security now, buy a Macintosh instead of a Wintel PC – May 25, 2005
There are no viruses for Apple’s Mac OS X – May 13, 2005
Apple touts Mac OS X security advantages over Windows – April 13, 2005
97,467 Microsoft Windows viruses vs. zero for Apple Mac’s OS X – April 05, 2005
Apple’s Mac OS X is virus-free – March 18, 2005
Cybersecurity advisor Clarke questions why anybody would buy from Microsoft – February 18, 2005
Security test: Windows XP system easily compromised while Apple’s Mac OS X stands safe and secure – November 30, 2004
Microsoft: The safest way to run Windows is on your Mac – October 08, 2004
Information Security Investigator says switch from Windows to Mac OS X for security – September 24, 2004
New York Times: Mac OS X ‘much more secure than Windows XP’ – September 18, 2003
Defending Windows over Mac a sign of mental illness – December 20, 2003
“…Microsoft is a threat to national security…”
Hello?!! McFly?!!
Microsoft. Because hackers know where they want to go today, your PC.
So true. All of it.
People say business has too much invested in M$, that they’ll never switch to Mac because of the cost, but it seems to me that business can’t afford not to dump costly M$ and all the financial losses one incurs by using it.
MacDaddy-Oh,
Not only is it a threat to national security but a defective product. I have been saying that since the early 90’s
mw: audience
“MacDailyNews Take: Macintosh. Because life’s too short.”
I love it! Dammit, Jobs, when you get off your ass and start advertising, you should use this line!
if you exploit one, you exploit them all.
Ohhh, someone is finally getting. You have read me saying the above for what now? 3 years? This is the reason virus writer target Windows, not because they are the majority but because Windows allow to infect the greatest number: crack one, crack them all. AND it will be the greatest number even with market share figures reversed: OS X over 80% and Windows ~10%
Who knows, maybe next year we will read the above as well.
Microsoft’s problem is that they insist on backwards compatibility, having new OS’s that run programs written for the old OS’s. Unfortunately that includes viruses, adware, spyware, etc.
Until they make a clean break, like Apple did with OS X, MS’s problems will continue.
I’m sure Bill Gates has the security at his 100 million dollar house.
I’ve said for years that Microsoft’s success will be their downfall. It’s hard to turn on a dime when you have the weight of the world on your back. Since the world runs on Windows, they need to ensure that the unbelievably enormous infrastructure that has been built can continue to exist with new versions of Windows. That means they cannot change much. They can’t innovate (even if they were able) because they’re tied to legacy software.
This may be the reason Apple doesn’t advertise OS X. Their size allows them to make changes like switching from OS 9 to OS X, or PpwerPC to Intel. Microsoft could never pull those changes off. There’s certainly room for Apple to grow and maintain this dexterity, but there is such thing as getting too big.
That doesn’t let MS off the hook though. Windows is absolute garbage because they built it that way.
Bloody awful security. What else would you expect from the company where the man himself, Mr Bill Gates, is the Chief Software Architect. Geez just typing that raises bile.
MW: hope – I hope Apple kicks their ass!
qka: shhhh. Microsoft execs might be reading these posts. Let’s not give them any bright ideas…
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
“Rainy Day” — Spoken like someone who has never worked at a large business. I work at an insurance firm, and trust me, there will be no massive move away from Windows. EVERYTHING IT-related would have to be changed, from the OS to the network to the mission critical apps. The expense would be monumenal, and the change would disrupt nearly every aspect of the business. Yeah, the IT department’s constant patching and fixing is an expense, but it’s an expense they can manage, budget and deal with.
Saying that businesses will just ditch Windows and start from scratch would be like saying the Sears Tower should be torn down and rebuilt if instabilities are found in the bottom floor. Too expensive and disruptive. Just patch the problem, as many times as necessary.
i think it’s desire. Microsoft CAN make changes to their OS like Apple. At the rate Microsoft is making updates, they could tell everyone that in 5 years, the new OS will not be backwards compatible and write from scratch, inform their developers on the progress, provide tools, etc. Why isn’t it possible? Couldn’t they generate the most income ever by selling a truly New Windows?
What Microsoft needs to do is stop worrying about Apple and worry about their own product. Stop competing with music and games. THe OS should be their main concern. And put Bill’s crystal ball on EBAY. It’s weird that a man worth 40 billions dollars cannot improve Window’s security.
and finally, put Bill’s crystal ball on EBAY.
My question is what kind of income Microsoft needs to improve their Windows. For heaven’s sake, Bill Gates is the richest man in the world. Microsoft will still exist.
LordRobin
Mission Critical Apps? Thats so funny! Doesn’t the MS EULA state that windows shouldn’t be used for anything critical, and if it is, and something goes wrong, that MS cannot be held liable?
Besides, a well planned and executed changover wouldn’t ditch everything. It would roll out stuff a little at a time over a couple of three years, and hopefully be intelligent enough to use some Linux and Unix servers as a just in case backup.
It would take some time and training, and of course expense. BUT, the clueless CEO/ CFO depend on the IT man for those decisions. Since he has allo the BS… oops, MS certifications, it will not happen.
Smaller companies where the CEO wears a few hats including ‘tech smart guy’ will start the change.
I am required to use a PC at work (SHUDDER) and when the latest huge WMF image threat was revealed last week, and M$ released their “patch,” which automatically installed on my computer, it really messed things up.
Now when someone sends me an image via email that I need to see, I am completely unable to do so!!! They could have turned images off with the option in email to allow you to turn the image on by right-clicking or something, but NO. The only way to view images now is to save them to your computer first. After saving an image this morning to my desktop, I opened it and found that it was blank!! I know the image the person sent me was NOT blank. Stupid, shitty, defective MicroShaft product!!!!! I’ve gotten the shaft again.
–Musica Obscura
two words: root account
Apple Mac Computer: $1477
Additional Software: $436
Freedom from Microsoft Windows viruses: PRICELESS
Oh, and LordRobin. Once one insurance company reduces its cost by, say, 10% by moving to a more cost effective, secure computing platform and thereby is able to undercut your premium levels might make your Directors think again… in fact it might force a switch.
Lord Robin
darknite is right on the money, but he forgot one thing. After the conversion is completed, your company can cut their IT payroll by up to 90% and save a bunch of money on salaries because the MCEs are no longer needed to do all of that patching and answer employee service calls.
Folks,
LordRobin is right. Businesses will stay with a string of managable costs forever– even if the total is 10 times the cost of switching all at once. The US corporate system is hostage to the quaterly report and to the prevailing US Walmart mentality.
LordRobin writes: “”Rainy Day” — Spoken like someone who has never worked at a large business.”
Apple is the largest company i’ve ever worked for, and they certainly didn’t have that problem when i worked there!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
LordRobin also writes: “I work at an insurance firm, and trust me, there will be no massive move away from Windows. EVERYTHING IT-related would have to be changed, from the OS to the network to the mission critical apps. The expense would be monumenal, and the change would disrupt nearly every aspect of the business. Yeah, the IT department’s constant patching and fixing is an expense, but it’s an expense they can manage, budget and deal with.”
This is a false savings. It’s akin to spending $100 just to save 25¢. The expense of sticking with Windoze far exceeds the cost of a few app’s, or converting data.
Unfortunately, the accountants don’t look any farther than the simple stuff, like cost of hardware, cost of new software, and cost of conversion. They don’t see the staggering hidden costs, like lost employee productivity because workers have to reboot constantly, or scan for viruses, or backup, reformat and re-install Windoze, or because the software is difficult to learn or operate. It doesn’t factor in the bloat in IT departments which exist only because Windoze is so terrible. It doesn’t account for lost productivity due to malware reformatting your drive, etc. A single virus can, inside a week, cost business more than the entire cost to clean up NYC after 9-11 attacks. The true cost of using Windoze is simply staggering.
So any real examination of the true costs is a no-brainer. Unfortunately, you are correct that most businesses aren’t savvy enough to know what the true costs are, so we’ll have a lot of corporate inertia. I think small businesses will be the ones to embrace Mac’s first.
I also think that IT departments have a vested interest in maintaining status quo. In fact, i would go so far as to say Mac’s threaten job security for IT folks, so of course they will not endorse using Mac’s. Once again, it will be the smaller businesses, without IT departments, which are more likely to embrace the Mac.
LordRobin also writes: “Saying that businesses will just ditch Windows and start from scratch would be like saying the Sears Tower should be torn down and rebuilt if instabilities are found in the bottom floor. Too expensive and disruptive. Just patch the problem, as many times as necessary.”
You certainly do understand the MBA mentality!
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”wink” style=”border:0;” />
“Saying that businesses will just ditch Windows and start from scratch would be like saying the Sears Tower should be torn down and rebuilt if instabilities are found in the bottom floor.”
It would depend on the seriousness of the instabilities.
There needs to be a Y2K-like initiative to finally address Windows. Just as businesses were forced to disclose how they were addressing Y2K, businesses should now be forced to disclose how they’re addressing known computer system problems. Businesses should be made to report any data compromises, any virus & spyware activity, and any major IT outages. Wouldn’t THAT make for some good quarterly-report reading. Let’s make the business world TOO HOSTILE for inferior operating systems to survive! Maybe then we’ll see some changes.
Shadetree CEO – Good call.
Why are “tech analysts” so loathe to ever suggest switching to the Macintosh platform? This guy rips Microsucks and Windoze a new one and then suggests a “trying to play it safer with Windoze” strategy? What gives?! Are people really so brainwashed?