Windows 7 poses significant security risk

Posted on 4 Nov 2009 at 10:24

Windows 7 in its native state is vulnerable to eight out of 10 new viruses, according to research from security company Sophos.

The company says it configured a clean machine to follow the system defaults for User Account Control (UAC) in Microsoft’s latest operating system, did not load any anti-virus software and fed the machine 10 random viruses.

“We grabbed the next 10 unique samples that arrived in the SophosLabs feed to see how well the newer, more secure version of Windows and UAC held up,” security analyst Chester Wisnieski wrote in his blog on the company website.

“Unfortunately, despite Microsoft’s claims, Windows 7 disappointed just like earlier versions of Windows. The good news is that, of the freshest 10 samples that arrived, two would not operate correctly under Windows 7.”

Mac users who are running, or intend to install, Windows 7 alongside OS X should ensure they have adequate protection. Microsoft provides a free bare bones security pack, Microsoft Security Essentials, which PC Pro found offers fair protection to end users.

Author: PC Pro

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