Windows 7 may be secure, but are Windows users safe?

Windows 7 may be secure, but are Windows users safe?

By Robert McMillan
November 10, 2009 08:40 PM ET

IDG News Service - Windows 7 users got a nice surprise on Tuesday when Microsoft released its first set of security patches since unveiling the new operating system last month. Of the 15 bugs patched, none affected Windows 7.

When Microsoft launched Windows 7, it was billed as the company's most secure release ever -- the culmination of a nine-year "Trustworthy Computing" effort to shore up a product line that had been riddled with major security holes.

But does stress-tested software really matter to Microsoft's customers, seemingly besieged by more online attacks than ever before? Microsoft had years to improve Windows XP, but the Conficker worm, which began spreading last year, is now thought to have infected more than 7 million Windows machines. And for every Windows bug that gets squashed, hackers seem to find new problems in the software that runs on top of Microsoft's operating system -- Flash Player, QuickTime and Java.

"Windows 7 is definitely by far the most secure system they've shipped," said Dave Aitel, chief technology officer with Immunity, a security company that spends a lot of time finding the latest software bugs. "I guess the question that everybody is asking right now is, 'Is this enough?'"

More at: Windows 7 may be secure, but are Windows users safe?_

Night Hawk said:

I guess the question that everybody is asking right now is, 'Is this enough?'"

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No, Windows 7 is not enough. The only security appliance capable of being enough is the user. Security requires awareness.

Antman said:

Locks are for honest people.

Windows 7 will be attacked successfully. It is only a matter of time.

Some users beg for attacks.

That's precisely the point to keep in mind there. But even after someone breaks 7 it will still be on the user to use the locks!

Kosmo said:

Best way to defend yourself is to turn your computer and unplug it.. then you will be truely safe :)

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Actually sometimes that is the right choice. With this kind of discussion I always try to put the focus on the user and his choices. Too often the discussion is about software vulnerabilities and fixes.

The one key phrase that always seems to hold true in most cases is simply put "common sense"! The experienced user will know when coming into any bad site and simply close out the browser window if necessary in some cases with browser hijack attempts by some sites if unable to use the back button.

When you have some form of IE protection inplace and any site pops an alert bye bye time to that place is simply a quick reaction before anything can be placed on the system! Smarter browsing also avoids most garbage sites to begin with. The other addon programs that connect online are the main item however that will tend to open up a system to remote attacks there.