Windows users unprotected against viruses

[Calum]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4536090.stm

People using Windows computers were unprotected against new viruses for 56 days this year, research shows.

whoop dee doop, big news etc.

will this change anything?
answers on a postcard...

[dmcfarland]

Duh.

[Aloone_Jonez]

, haven't some bugs in the Linux kernel been fixed faster than this?

[themacuser]

Heh...

How many days have Mac users been unprotected against viruses... hmmm.... Zero.

[WMD]

More than zero if you count the classic OS.

[jtpenrod]

"People using Windows computers were unprotected against new viruses for 56 days this year, research shows."

I always figured that people using Windows computers were unprotected from viruses for twenty years.

[Orethrius]

I always figured that people using Windows computers were unprotected from viruses for twenty years.

Methinks they're going by median time-to-release, not mean of all users.
Don't ya hate statistics?  

[themacuser]

More than zero if you count the classic OS.

Yeah, but we don't talk about that any more. Steve Jobs said so

[M51DPS]

Funny we should post in this again now, considering the latest 0-day exploit released against fully patched computers running Windows.

[Calum]

Well here's another stunning example of microsoft's lightning quick reactions to a security threat, i am sure this makes windows users feel valued, and i know they will realise that this sort of hasty response from microsoft is well worth paying their licence fees for...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4580852.stm

Windows bug awaits Microsoft fix  
 
The Meta File bug is suffered by several Windows versions

Users may have to wait another week for Microsoft to finish fixing a serious bug in the Windows operating system.

Discovered on 27 December, the bug helps hijack PCs if users visit booby-trapped websites or open e-mail attachments loaded with exploit code.

Microsoft said it hoped to have its fix for the bug available by 10 January.

[toadlife]

Well here's another stunning example of microsoft's lightning quick reactions to a security threat, i am sure this makes windows users feel valued, and i know they will realise that this sort of hasty response from microsoft is well worth paying their licence fees for...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4580852.stm

The patch was released today.

[Calum]

that's hardly an answer, it's still been weeks.
and how long will it be till the next huge security hole is found?

[toadlife]

and how long will it be till the next huge security hole is found?

Probably aroudn the same time as it takes for the next hige security hole in some other OS is found. The difference is the value in exploiting it.

If Windows weren't used by so many people, there would ,most likely have been no exploits for this particular vulnerability. There have been multiple vulnerabilities that have affected linux/unix/bsd that are pretty much exactly the same as this one (view image == code executes), and they were never exploited. If you think they weren't explited because they couldn't be, you're living in a fastasy world.

One of Windows weaknesses is it's large marketshare. It's a big target and there is high value in exploiting a Windows vulnerability.

[H_TeXMeX_H]

One of Windows weaknesses is it's large marketshare.

... I hope you are kidding :eek:

[piratePenguin]

... I hope you are kidding :eek:

He isn't. In some ways it's a good thing but in the security sense it can be a bad thing (and it definetly is for Windows - ya know, Microsoft's POS OS?).

Windows has many weaknesses and it's market share is one of them (it's also a plus, but it's still a weakness in the security sense).