Windows Vista now available for preorder via Amazon (1 Viewer)

[Lee Scoggins]

The PC sites are mentioning some serious security concerns plaguing Vista. Does anyone have information on that?

 

[Bryan X]

Can you point us to these PC Website articles you read?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

If I may...

After reading the above I did a quick search and found part of
an expired report Here and full report Here

My opinion is this....

Microsoft is an awful company when it comes to releasing reliable
operating systems. All the mess we saw in XP will without doubt
transfer over to Vista. I don't think there are many people who
trust Microsoft anymore.

 

[Bryan X]

Could another company really do materially better though? Is Apple's operating system or Linux really any more secure? They may seem to be because of the lack of reports. But if the resources and disdain of hackers were thrown at those operating systems like MS gets attacked, I tend to believe there would be just as many 'holes' in those OSs. Because of Microsoft's dominance, they are like a freakin' magnet to hackers.

If an OS can be developed by humans, other humans will be able to hack it. Plain and simple.

 

[Chris]

I saw the NY Times article. I downloaded the source for the hack. And I'll be darned if the hack isn't worthless.

BetaNews documents this well.

http://www.betanews.com/article/Is_V...ims/1167176211

I think the NY Times so much wanted the story that they tended to overblow the problem. Not that Vista won't have problems, but the NY Times ran the story, and everyone else commented on it.. and yet, so far, everyone that tested the Russian exploint finds that the exploit itself is rittled with flaws.

The NY Times claimed that the exploit leads to an elevation of priveleges. (it doesn't) and then they claimed it would lead to a system takeover (it can't). It exists in all Windows OSs since Server 2000 SP4. So, if you're running 2000/XP/Vista, and you get a piece of software installed that launches repeat message box calls, eventually it locks up and the system bombs. So it's not a Vista exclusive flaw either.

That's the bad thing about the press and security issues. They overblow the things that are a minor problem (after all, this exploit requires an active hand - which means you would have to chose to install the damn thing at some point) and ignore serious ones (like say, Netgear UPNP router exploits, etc.)

Just because it makes a better story.

 

[Jeff_HR]

I'll be buying the Ultimate version of Vista thru the University I work for. It won't be available until about May, but I won't need it until then or later. Oh, by the way, I'll get it at a discounted price of approximately $60.00!!!!