Will Vista Security Make a Difference?

By NewsFactor Network | December 12, 2006

Microsoft Corp. took great pains to improve security in its newly released computer operating system, Windows Vista, redesigning it to reduce users’ exposure to destructive programs from the Internet. Outside researchers commend the retooled approach — yet they also say the changes won’t make online life much safer than it is now.

Why not? Partly because of security progress that Microsoft already had made in its last operating system, Windows XP. Also because a complex product like Vista is bound to have holes yet to be discovered. And mainly because of the rapidly changing nature of online threats.

Sure, Microsoft appears to have fixed the glitches that used to make it easy for viruses, worms and other problems to wreck PCs. But other avenues for attack are always evolving.

“Microsoft has made the core of the operating system more secure, but they’ve really solved, by and large, yesterday’s problems,” said Oliver Friedrichs, director of emerging technologies at antivirus vendor Symantec Corp.

That claim would not please Microsoft, which touts Vista’s improved security as a big reason why companies and consumers will want to upgrade to the new operating system.

In fact, Microsoft’s effort to tighten security in Vista was one reason the software was delayed past the crucial holiday shopping season. It’s now available for businesses and will be available to consumers Jan. 30.

“It is an incremental improvement — it is a reasonably large increment,” said Jon Callas, chief technology officer at PGP Corp., a maker of encryption software. “I don’t think it’s a game-changer.”

Some of Vista’s security enhancements require computers with the latest microprocessors — which are known as 64-bit chips, in reference to how much data they process at once. That won’t improve things on today’s standard 32-bit computers, which will stick around for a long time.

However, most of the improvements are available…

Bookmark and Share :-)