If only I had a nickel for every time I had to reformat a hard drive.
Of course, none of it was my fault.
Ya, right!
grin
Thanks for this post David.
dp
-----Original Message-----
From: David Goldfield
Sent: Saturday, January 09, 2016 6:21 PM
To: Blind-Philly-Comp
Subject: [blind-philly-comp] From HowtoGeek: HTG Explains: Why Windows Has
the Most Viruses
I just found this piece on HowtoGeek and thought I'd share it, for those
interested in this topic.
howtogeek.com
HTG Explains: Why Windows Has the Most Viruses
broken-window
We all know that Windows is the most malware-ridden platform out there,
but why is that? Windows is the most popular desktop operating system,
but that isn’t the only reason – past decisions made Windows a fertile
breeding ground for viruses and other malware.
We’ve previously explained why everyone should be using an antivirus on
Windows, but we’ve also advised that Linux doesn’t need an antivirus. We
covered some of the reasons why an antivirus is and isn’t necessary on
each platform, but now we’ll look at how we got here.
Popularity
Windows is a big target because it powers the vast majority of the
world’s desktop computers and laptops. If you’re writing malware and you
want to infect average computers users – perhaps you want to install a
key logger on their systems and steal their credit card numbers and
other financial data – you would target Windows because that’s where the
most users are.
This is the most common argument for Windows having such a history of
malware, and it’s true — but this isn’t the only reason, either. There’s
a lot more to it than popularity.
windows-computers-in-computer-lab
The Sad Security History of Windows
Historically, Windows was not designed for security. While Linux and
Apple’s Mac OS X (based on Unix) were built from the ground-up to be
multi-user operating systems that allowed users to log in with limited
user accounts, the original versions of Windows never were.
DOS was a single-user operating system, and the initial versions of
Windows were built on top of DOS. Windows 3.1, 95, 98, and Me may have
looked like advanced operating systems at the time, but they were
actually running on top of the single-user DOS. DOS didn’t have proper
user accounts, file permissions, or other security restrictions.
Windows NT – the core of Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7, and now 8 – is a
modern, multi-user operating system that supports all the essential
security settings, including the ability to restrict user account
permissions. However, Microsoft never really designed consumer versions
of Windows for security until Windows XP SP2. Windows XP supported
multiple user accounts with limited privileges, but most people just
logged into their Windows XP systems as the Administrator user. Much
software wouldn’t work if you did use a limited user account, anyway.
Windows XP shipped without a firewall enabled and network services were
exposed directly to the Internet, which made it an easy target for
worms. At one point, the SANS Internet Storm Center estimated an
unpatched Windows XP system would be infected within four minutes of
connecting it directly to the Internet, due to worms like Blaster.
In addition, Windows XP’s autorun feature automatically ran applications
on media devices connected to the computer. This allowed Sony to install
a rootkit on Windows systems by adding it to their audio CDs, and savvy
criminals began leaving infected USB drives lying around near companies
they wanted to compromise. If an employee picked up the USB drive and
plugged it into a company computer, it would infect the computer. And,
because most users logged in as Administrator users, the malware would
run with administrative privileges and have complete access to the computer.
It’s clear that Microsoft never designed the original release of Windows
XP to survive on a dangerous Internet, and it showed.
windows-xp-installation-message
Microsoft Gets Serious About Security
In response to growing concern and malware infections, Microsoft became
more serious about security with Windows XP Service Pack 2, which
included a more powerful firewall and a variety of other security
features, including a security center that nags users to install an
antivirus program. With Windows Vista, Microsoft introduced User Account
Control, finally encouraging Windows users to use limited user accounts.
Windows today uses limited user accounts by default, ships with a
firewall enabled, and no longer automatically runs programs with
autorun. Windows 8 even comes with an integrated antivirus and other
security features. These are just a few of the most visible security
improvements Microsoft has made.
However, many computers connected to the Internet still use Windows XP.
It’s also likely that a significant amount of users have not installed
security updates. Microsoft’s installation of the Windows Genuine
Advantage anti-piracy system through Windows Update caused many people,
especially people using improperly licensed copies of Windows, to
disable automatic updates. This leaves many Windows XP systems vulnerable.
The latest versions of Windows are much more secure than Windows 98 and
the original release of Windows XP. However, Windows still remains a target.
Downloading Programs From Websites
While Android allows users to install software from outside Google Play
and desktop Linux allows its users to install software from outside
their software repositories, the majority of the software Android and
Linux users install comes from a trusted, centralized repository. Users
open their app store or package manager, search for the program, and
install it.
On the Windows desktop, users have to open their browsers, search the
web, download an application from a website, and install it manually.
Many less-savvy users may end up downloading dangerous software or
clicking a fake “Download” button that leads to disguised malware. Users
may download and run potentially dangerous types of files, such as
screensavers, without knowing that they contain executable code and can
infect their system. People downloading pirated software from
questionable websites may end up infected.
Operating systems that provide a trusted source of applications for
users to search and install fare better. Microsoft had the chance to fix
this with Windows 8, but the Windows Store doesn’t manage the
installation of desktop applications.
There isn’t one clear reason why Windows has the most viruses of any
operating system – like all things in life, it’s a combination of
factors. Windows’ popularity among average computer users is a huge
reason, although it’s also true that Microsoft’s apparent lack of
concern for security in the early days made the problem much worse than
it had to be. The lack of an official app store for desktop application
also increases the risk for less-savvy computer users looking for
software online. Users that don’t know the warning signs and what to
avoid are much more vulnerable on the Windows desktop.
Image Credit: Eric Schmuttenmaer on Flickr, Bill S on Flickr,
robotpolisher on Flickr
--
David Goldfield, Assistive Technology Specialist Feel free to visit my
Web site WWW.DavidGoldfield.Info
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