Is Windows 7 Immune To Virus Attacks?
Posted: Wednesday, March 31, 2010
by Scott Drinkard
The Computer Guy
Can Windows 7 get viruses? The short answer - yes. By now many of you have made the move to Windows 7 and if you are like me, you are probably somewhat pleased with the new OS. It is proving to be better, by far, than its predecessor Vista. While Microsoft has made huge strides in plugging the security holes that are present in Vista and XP it seems they are still vulnerable when it comes to viruses and other types of malware.
Now of course you could make the argument that the Sophos people have a vested interest in a poor showing by Windows 7. After all, they do sell antivirus products so they don't exactly have a neutral perspective. That argument, however doesn't change the results of the test. Preventing only 2 of 10 viruses is not exactly something for Microsoft to crow about. I'm sure that many more tests will be conducted, but for now this result is very telling.
For the record, this article is not meant to bash Microsoft. I've given Windows 7 a thorough test drive and I really am impressed with it. I think the folks in Redmond finally listened to their customers and got it right. That being said, I don't think there will ever be an operating system from Microsoft that is completely immune to malware attacks.
The reason that there will always be a need for third-party antivirus software is really pretty simple. As far as the bad guys are concerned, Windows (any version) has a giant bulls-eye on it. For Microsoft, being "king of the hill" has its down side. The bad guys that create the malware are in it to make money and with Windows being by far the most popular operating system in the world, that's where they concentrate their efforts.
We hear all the time about Macs and their supposed "immunity" to virus attacks. This really isn't because the people at Apple have some secret formula for creating code that viruses can't attack. It's just that they own such a small portion of the market that the bad guys don't waste time writing code that targets Mac computers. There's simply more money to be made by attacking PCs. If Mac were to ever take control of the OS market, I guarantee the bad guys would start attacking it with the same success that they have now in the PC market.
For now though, Windows is still the most widely used operating system in the world and Windows 7 is turning out to be a fine addition to Microsoft's lineup. It's new features are proving to be very useful and many of the things that users found so annoying in Vista are gone. From a security standpoint Win7 is not perfect, but I believe it's the best effort by Microsoft yet. So, if you still haven't tried Windows 7, I encourage you to take it for a spin. Just make sure you bring your antivirus with you. For recommendations on the best internet security products for Windows 7, please visit www.westtexascomputerguy.com.
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