Windows Security Holes Go Mostly Unexploited
murky.waters writes "Wired News has an article with a decidedly different take on security holes in Microsoft Windows: Despite the thousands of known exploits and virii, most MS users aren't target of much harm, and the big guns such as Klez have had almost no effect on home users. An interesting read that, if true, challenges some common arguments."
Gotta go write some new hacks for the k1dd14z to get busy with.
You meant to spell "a lot", I'm sure.
Karma: Food Fight (Mostly affected by Date Plate).
I seem to remember BO affecting quite a few people.
May I point out the word is virus, the plural is viruses. There are not such thing as viri; and the people who say virii are doubley wrong!
This is perhaps the same group of people who say CD's an CPU's. It's a bloody plural! There is no apostrophe!
Can we please god kill people for basic grammatical mutilations?
And knowing this problem with the Windows framework as a Sys Admin has driven me border line NUTS for years now. Fortunately I'm in a position to _completely_ control OS' in use and have the patients to put up with a little pissing match from Microsoft.
:)
I went with DOS and then WFW3.11 at the office.
Of course the servers were Netware. Quietly I went from using Coherent to Linux at home...
Windows NT and 2K were each re-evaluted for use and lost in all my benchmarks and security tests. Thankfully Netware has won many rankings and Linux has also quietly slipped into the mix.
Actually moved Linux to the basement. Still "running the house" -- X10, files, web, email, dns, HV/AC, anything/everything.
OS X was a fresh breath after drooling over the NeXT years back. GUI of choice for myself at least.
Linux has since out numbered Netware for server deployments with thankfully sleep filled nights with -0- Windows server based deployments.
My first and original Netware 3.12 server still lives to this day. I can't bring myself to shut it down.
We skipped Windows 95 and 98 due to HORRIBLE networking issues. 98se made the desktops with 2K being a too quick replacement IMHO. XP has not even been a consideration nor does it appear to be on the horizon. Palladium is also a major turn off for privacy reasons.
In re-evaluating the Windows desktop situation at the office with the board of directors it was decided that for obvious _security_ reasons that the desktop environment should be AT LEAST a 50/50 mix of OS'. At no point shall any one operating system have 100% penetration into any facility.
Those X-Serve servers sure are looking intersting too... Behind Netware in operation today for server use is good 'ol BSD.
Unix at the left. Unix to the right.
I'm starting to think the writing is on the wall for Microsoft. Heck, on OS X I stay 100% away from their applications myself -- Word and Excel unfortunately excluded... I think there are six (6) virus' for OS X in the wilds today. You can thank Microsoft and their applications for that...
Bufffer overflows and just plain stupid programming and mistakes can (and will) happen. In dealing with the security problems with the various operating systems listed I can personally say that Windows, by far, is the problem child.
On a technology basis it is lucky to run sphagetti code IMHO. Ironic that my original training was for programming and I've done some development across all the platforms with the various tools. Nothing hard core by ANY means -- not since my college days at least. Microsoft's development platform isn't all that encouraging, but I'm not even close to being prepared to go into THAT debate.
I've found it both easier and cheaper to use/rape THEM (Microsoft) when I so see fit. Today I have yet to replace one (1) application that is in use on Windows today -- and that would be AutoCAD. Their days are numbered too -- unless they pull a Unix based release (again).
HHhhhmmmmm.... At least all the other users around me (family & friends) *have* been listening. 3 Linux users actually shocked me and literally everybody else have bought Mac's. Of course I won't talk about the 20 or 30 other people running Linux that I've setup that could't/wouldn't afford the new Windows with a new PC or a new Mac.
No problem. Re-use the old equipment. A buddy of mine can't understand how his old P2-450 seems more responsive than his whatever-Ghz P4 running 2K.
Games? Playstation of course.
Microsoft has ticked off too many business' on too many fronts AND haven't been able to prove they can REALLY product yet. Prediction within 10 years: they'll still be around as a APPLICATIONS and or SERVICES type company. May Windows rest in peace...
On a similar note, the Pinto had a very minor problem of exploding when in a rear end collision. It didn't happen to all of them, so nothing is going to be done about it. Also, select Firestone tires on Ford SUV's have been found to undergo critical failure and have thread seperation. That is being ignored as well because it doesn't happen to everyone or that often. Do people check their brains somewhere before posting???