“The marketing propaganda touting Microsoft’s new Vista operating system as ‘the most secure version of Windows yet’ has done nothing to stop both white and black hat hackers from discovering Vista vulnerabilities. Unless you simply enjoy acting as an experimental Microsoft guinea pig, it’s best to wait before trying to run Windows Vista,” Dave Moore reports for The Norman Transcript.
Moore reports, “Quite disturbing were recent revelations that Microsoft’s own Live OneCare antivirus program, tailored specifically for Vista, is unable to block many well-known computer viruses. Another antivirus package from McAfee also fails to do the job. This fulfills predictions made in early 2006 by antivirus firm Symantec (maker of Norton AntiVirus) that, because of Microsoft’s failure to provide ways for antivirus programmers to fully integrate their products with Vista, many antivirus programs would have a hard time protecting Vista users. I guess that includes Microsoft, as well.”
“Russian hackers posted instructions to an underground forum describing how to implement ‘privilege escalation,’ which could bypass some Vista security measures. This hack could escalate the ‘privileges’ of a normal Vista user into that of a ‘superuser,’ allowing him to change anything he desired on the system. This would be particularly dangerous in a corporate environment where normal computer users have limited privileges, in that they cannot install programs, visit certain Web sites, etc. This threat is considered so serious that Microsoft has scrambled its ‘Security Response Center,’ which is ostensibly still trying to figure out what to do,” Moore reports.
Moore reports, “Said one very irritated and frustrated Vista early adopter, ‘I should have bought a Mac.'”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Nowadays, security guys break the Mac every single day. Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine. – Bill Gates, February 02, 2007, Newsweek
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Computerworld: Windows expert dumps Windows, switches to Apple’s Mac OS X – February 08, 2007
Windows sufferer spends six hours trying to ‘upgrade’ to Vista, says: ‘I should’ve bought a Mac’ – February 07, 2007
Windows Vista woes push BBC News editor to regret never having ‘defected’ to Apple Mac – February 06, 2007
Bill Gates unhinged with Apple envy; Microsoft on path to become high profile casualty – February 06, 2007
Apple takes dead aim at Microsoft’s Windows Vista in latest ‘Get a Mac’ ad (with video) – February 06, 2007
Digit: Don’t buy Vista; Microsoft may be driving millions to stick with XP or move to Apple Mac – February 05, 2007
Bill Gates has lost his mind: calls Apple liars, copiers; slams Mac OS X security vs. Windows – February 02, 2007
TIME Magazine: Microsoft’s Windows Vista ‘an embarassment to the good name of American innovation’ – February 02, 2007
Microsoft’s Windows Vista: Five years for a chrome-plated turd – January 30, 2007
Those unfamiliar with Apple’s Mac OS X may be impressed with Windows Vista – January 29, 2007
Digit: ‘Microsoft’s Windows Vista may be the best reason yet to buy an Apple Mac’ – January 29, 2007
Pioneer Press: Windows Vista shows ‘Apple is an innovation engine; Microsoft, not so much’ – January 29, 2007
Windows Vista disappoints, so get a Mac – January 29, 2007
Microsoft emails reveal serious Mac OS X Tiger envy – January 26, 2007
Analyst: Microsoft’s Windows Vista could be an opportunity for Apple – January 26, 2007
CNET Reviews Windows Vista: Is that all? Clunky and not very intuitive vs. Mac OS X; warmed-over XP – January 24, 2007
Mossberg: Microsoft’s Windows Vista offers lesser imitations of Apple’s Mac OS X features – January 18, 2007
Windows Vista disappointment drives longtime ‘Microsoft apologist’ to Apple’s Mac OS X – January 17, 2007
InformationWeek Review: Apple’s Mac OS X shines in comparison with Microsoft’s Windows Vista – January 06, 2007
NY Times’ Pogue reviews Microsoft’s Windows Vista: ‘Looks, Locks, Lacks’ – December 14, 2006
Unlike Microsoft’s Windows Vista, Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard will create no new jobs – December 12, 2006
15-year Windows vet tries Apple Mac: ‘My God! This is amazing!’ – December 04, 2006
Dave Winer: ‘Microsoft isn’t an innovator, and never was – they are always playing catch-up’ – December 01, 2006
Harvard Medical School CIO picks Mac OS X over Linux and Windows – November 30, 2006
Apple Macs can run more software than Windows PCs – October 30, 2006
Microsoft’s Windows Vista is basically Microsoft’s version of Mac OS 9.3 – October 11, 2006
Top Windows developer dumps Microsoft’s ‘pile of crap’ for Apple’s Mac OS X – September 12, 2006
$399 for Windows Vista Ultimate?! (Hint: Get a Mac) – August 29, 2006
Apple’s Mac OS X Leopard is 64-bit done right, unlike Microsoft’s Windows Vista kludge – August 14, 2006
Microsoft Windows Vista: If you can’t innovate… try to impersonate Apple’s Mac OS X – August 10, 2006
Analyst: Apple’s new Mac OS X Leopard sets new bar, leaves Microsoft’s Vista in the dust – August 08, 2006
Microsoft botches another copy job: Windows Vista Flip3D vs. Apple Mac OS X Exposé – June 26, 2006
Windows Vista rips-off Mac OS X at great hardware cost (and Apple gains in the end) – June 13, 2006
Computerworld: Microsoft Windows Vista a distant second-best to Apple Mac OS X – June 02, 2006
Dude, you got a Dell? What are you, stupid? Only Apple Macs run both Mac OS X and Windows! – April 05, 2006
Defending Windows over Mac a sign of mental illness – December 20, 2003
The wow starts now.
Microsoft clearly sucks, they have more net worth then Apple, Inc but can’t get their poop in a group.
Vista is not cheap $400 bucks for the premium if you own a Mac your looking at $100-$125 for the newest version of the MAC OS and it’s always premium!
BUY A MAC!
What took u so long…
See how microsoft immediately scrambled its ‘Security Response Center’ ? See how they are exercising their superb innovative software skills to protect their customers’ safety & security?
Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine.
Zune Tang? What do you say about this? Mac OS X has been out for years, and we haven’t seen anything like this. Nada. Zip. Zero.
I think you need a new slogan as well. “Your potential, our passion” should be “Your potential, our problems” as users will get nothing but that installing Vista.
Dear Russian Hackers,
Please disable all Windows Vista computers.
In return we will send you American Brides.
The good ones from WI and IA.
Signed,
Mac using US
ps; Anything you can do about XP would be appreciated
The Ow starts Now.
This is my hometown. I saw “Norman Transcript” and thought, “it can’t be…” but it is! Glad to see the reporting is accurate and sensible!
“but can’t get their poop in a group”
Those darn groupless poopers!
Nonsense. Vista is bulletproof. The great and wise Bill Gates said so.
Compromise Vista? I’ll believe it only when clear, independent evidence shows the magnificent and mighty Vista has been hacked. Until then, move along.
once you go vista you can go mac
Wow! New Vista Slogan: Your personal data. Leaked through our software.
MacDailyNews Take: Nowadays, security guys break the Mac every single day. Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine. – Bill Gates, February 02, 2007, Newsweek
I wonder How true this possibly could be??
Your hacking, our sphincters.
Go Fester!
Go Bill!
The good news is that 1/2 of the installs fail, so those lucky bastards won’t get cracked!
Vista.
Your Data. Our Hacks.
Welcome to the social.
HEAR ME NOW, MDN, BECAUSE IT WILL HAPPEN:
Microsoft will get sued by some big company for building a faulty product. This product is Vista and it will happen by the end of this year.
“I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine.”
Alrighty Bill, the score after less than a month is:
Hackers: 1 Vista: 0
Come to think of it, I haven’t heard of an exploit on the Mac today Bill, have you guys? I thought Bill said it was every day?
Mac OS X has privilege escallation bugs as well.
Nowadays, security guys break the Mac every single day. Every single day, they come out with a total exploit, your machine can be taken over totally. I dare anybody to do that once a month on the Windows machine. – Bill Gates, February 02, 2007, Newsweek
Just incredible. We should all send Billie Boy thnak you notes. His total lack of vision has created an environment where the Mac will prosper and multiply, much to our benefit.
Currently watching what is – to all intents and purposes – a fucking Vista infomercial on the allegedly ad-free BBC’s Money Programme (19:00 GMT).
My favourite bit so far is that one of the people responsible for “platform experience” claims that she is really proud of the fact that they’ve removed the word Start from the “Start” button thus negating the acknowledged counter-intuitive action of clicking “Start” to shut down.
Now here’s the sticky bit: a friend of mine who knows someone who knows someone working at the BBC was told that in a commissioning meeting that a programme documenting Apple’s rise to dominance in the portable media sector and the forthcoming iPhone would be turned down as it would be seen as “biased”.
The mind boggles.
My God. I was so disoriented with the thought of Vista being so completely overrun while 3rd party anti-virus people stared, cold and nosed-pressed against the windows that I began to dream dreams…. some strange and beautiful vision. I smelled perfume. I saw a flowing gown. I thought I was at a beauty contest. Then I saw the two toads…..and I thought….Reality is hard……real mother fking hard.
> Hackers: 1 Vista: 0
Well, since Vista is vulnerable to previously existing malware (not just new ones), I’d say the score for “Hackers” is a lot higher than 1.
As many have been predicting, Windows Vista is no more secure than Windows XP. It might even be less secure, since Microsoft made it harder for the security companies to interface their products. It seems Microsoft’s main security “innovation” in Vista is putting in those “cancel or allow” dialog boxes to annoy the user and get them conditioned to hit “allow” without reading or thinking. Wow… that’s awesome security.
@Wil,
Unfortunately, that won’t happen. And the reason is easy: it’s calles “End User License Agreement”.
If you read it, you’ll find out there’s not legal way to sue a software manufacturer for they screw-ups. And Microsoft is a master in writing those.
In fact they are much better doing that than wrting software.