Posts Tagged ‘windows 7’

Whenever a new version of Windows comes out, I usually avoid buying from that first batch, since there always seems to be glitches to work out.  It appears that Windows 7 is no exception since it was shown to be vulnerable to 8 of the 10 “freshest” viruses circulating around the internet.

SophosLabs used a copy of Windows 7 on a clean machine that was configured to follow system defaults without loading any anti-virus software.  Of the 10 viruses that they introduced to the machine, 2 would not operate correctly under the newest version of Windows. So that leaves 8 that you need to protect against.

Their article basically reinforced the warning that, even though many are heralding Windows 7 as being better than Vista, it doesn’t mean that you can throw caution to the wind and don’t need anti-virus software. 

But this research raises the question: should Windows 7 be able to protect you from the newest viruses fresh out of the box?

I recently wrote an article about the available patches for Windows 7 which could be helpful if you’ve recently updated your software.

image:Microsoft

Windows users who have been unimpressed by the features (and problems) offered by Vista have been rushing out and buying Windows 7.  The reviews, so far, have been largely favourable but, as is the case with any brand-new version of the software, a large number of vulnerabilities were discovered – 34 to be exact.

In order to address the issues, Microsoft released a record number of patches earlier this month, including the first critical update for the program.

Some of the more serious problems included an SMB (Server Message Block) flaw that allowed attackers to remotely take control over the computer.  That’s pretty serious!

Fortunately, the patches were released before the October 22, 2009 release date for consumers (although, some large businesses have been using Windows 7 since this summer).

If you are concerned or are interested in learning more about the patches, there is a great article on CNet News outlining the vulnerabilities and fixes.  Otherwise, Windows 7 users are advised to visit the Microsoft website to ensure that they have the most recent updates.

image: Best Buy