I know this sounds crazy, but I just found this article amusing.  The whole idea of the article is about Microsoft stating why it is best to migrate to Vista to protect against malware.  But is this really the case?  There have been numerous claims in previous articles (I can’t remember specifically) stating that having a fully upgraded and patched XP OS delivers equivalent security to Vista.  The one thing Vista does have over XP though is the permission-based operations, but this feature seems to do more harm that good with people getting completely frustrated of having to click Allow three or four times before they can run anything.

Microsoft is pushing improved malware defences as a reason to shift over to Vista.

Systems running Microsoft’s latest operating system recorded 60 per cent less malware infections than XP, according to figures obtained using Microsoft’s malicious software removal tool.

Ben Fathi, corporate vice president of development for Windows, claimed on Tuesday that Vista experienced fewer security vulnerabilities than either Mac OS X, Windows XP or Ubuntu Linux. Fathi made the statement during a keynote presentation at the RSA Europe security conference in London on Tuesday.

The launch of Vista has been dogged with problems including the difficulty in performing simple tasks such as moving files and lukewarm responses from PC builders, software developers and users alike. Vista contains improved security features such User Account Control (UAC) and Kernel Patch Protection.

Third party application developers have criticised patch protection while many users have found it hard to get to grips with UAC, which has a habit of confronting users with pop-up windows even when running innocuous applications.

Fathi left the stage without fielding questions, which would surely have included queries as to how Microsoft’s vulnerability stats compare with independent security sources such as Secunia or Symantec, whose figures often cast Microsoft’s software in a less favourable light.[more]

Tags: Computer Protection