News Analysis: Microsoft sometimes gets
a raw deal when it comes to security. The software company is often
targeted as the reason why security outbreaks occur. But it's not always
Microsoft's fault. Here, eWEEK looks at why Microsoft gets a bad rap
when it comes to Windows security. Whenever it comes time to talk about
Microsoft, the discussion almost always turns to the company's handling
of security. Microsoft's critics say the software giant's programs fail
to adequately protect users. They also contend that Microsoft takes far
too long to update its software, which makes the trouble last longer.
Admittedly, Microsoft's poor software design does sometimes cause major
security issues. Windows has been inundated with attacks for years, and
Internet Explorer has been a hotbed of malicious activity.
Third-party applications can cause major outbreaks
on a Windows PC. Third-party programs don't always have adequate
security protocols in place to ensure that data is kept safe. Worst of
all, the apps aren't always updated as often as they should be. That's a
problem. Malicious hackers are fully aware that some programs are easier
to break into than others, so they attack the easier targets. And no
matter what safeguards a user has in place, if a third-party program is
wide open, it's trouble.
2. Out-of-date software
Sometimes, third-party applications are patched by
a developer. There's just one problem: Users don't always update those
programs. We've all been there. We're in the middle of something
important and a program we've just opened asks us to update it. Rather
than wait for the update and potentially be forced to restart the
computer, we put it off for another time. That might seem like the best
option in the moment, but it really isn't. If that update was a security
fix, we're now putting ourselves at risk for an even longer amount of
time than we should. If we don't update our third-party programs, there
isn't much Microsoft can do to protect us.
3. Out-of-date antivirus and anti-spyware programs
Running antivirus and anti-spyware programs that
aren't fully up-to-date is almost as useless as running nothing at all.
As new issues crop up, security vendors are constantly updating their
programs to keep user data secure. Unfortunately, those vendors can't
force users to actually update their programs. So, a user who opts to
wait is once again at risk of being affected by an issue that could be
easily avoided with the help of a simple patch. Microsoft should have
done a better job of making Windows resistant to viruses and spyware,
but it also needs some help from users.
4. Users open attachments that they shouldn't
Microsoft shouldn't be blamed by a user who opened an attachment he or she shouldn't have. Unless a person is expecting an attached file from a known source, opening documents from within an e-mail program is never recommended. For years, malicious hackers have been using e-mail to take advantage of users who seemingly never learned that opening an e-mail attachment from an unknown sender is a bad idea. As much as security vendors and Microsoft have attempted to raise awareness of that issue, users just aren't listening. And when their computers are taken over, it's Microsoft, not themselves, that they blame.
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5. Users surf to sites that they shouldn't
In recent years, companies like Google have helped
safeguard users who are surfing to unsafe sites. But that still doesn't
stop folks from loading up Internet Explorer, Firefox or any other
browser and going to sites that contain malicious files. It also hasn't
stopped them from falling victim to phishing attacks on sites that look
like a bank Website or credit card page. A tremendous number of people
are still browsing sites that wreak havoc on their machines or their
lives. Hopefully after being burned once, they will learn a lesson.
6. Where are all the passwords?
Some users make it far too easy for malicious
hackers to gain physical access to their computers. Without a password
controlling access to a machine, anyone can sit at someone's desk, boot
up the PC and start stealing sensitive information. Currently, companies
all over the world require users to password-protect their machines, so
criminals can't gain access to their data. Why haven't more people
applied that lesson to protecting their home PCs? Yes, it might be a
pain to type in a password every time the computer awakes from sleeping,
but it will also keep sensitive data safe.
7. The passwords are there, but why are they all
the same?
Having a password is a great first step, but making
passwords to different sites identical, or even making them easy to
break, is about as useless as having no password at all. Once again, a
desire for convenience might cause some people to use the same passwords
for all their various accounts, but it's not doing them any favors. As
any malicious hacker will point out, after breaking one password, they
will try that same code on all other accounts to see if it works. If it
does, they will have access to anything they want. Passwords need to be
hard to crack and to vary from site to site.
8. Running in administrator mode
A common mistake some people make while running
Windows is to use the computer in administrator mode. It might make
using the PC more convenient, but it also gives malicious hackers access
to anything they want on the computer. Some security experts say if PC
owners run their computers in limited-user mode, they can eliminate many
of the security woes that currently plague the average Windows user. For
its part, Microsoft could do a better job of informing the public about
the dangers of administrator mode. But again, if a user wants to run as
an administrator, what can Microsoft really do to stop it?
9. Windows updates work
Windows updates could mean the difference between
safety and an outbreak on a user's computer. As annoying as they might
be, Windows updates are integral to the safety of a computer. Whenever
Microsoft patches its operating system, users should be ready and
willing to update Windows as soon as that update is available. If not,
they're once again putting themselves at risk simply because they don't
feel like fixing security problems in their OS. Microsoft can only
recommend that users download a security update and provide patches
whenever it can. What users decide to do after that is up to them.
10. Education
It's easy to blame Microsoft for the security woes
users face, but sometimes, users need to realize that education could
easily help them avoid many of the problems that plague them on a daily
basis. With better security education, the Web would be safer, thanks to
fewer people clicking over to malicious sites. E-mail attachments would
be less worrisome, since users would know how to handle them. With
better education, there would undoubtedly be less outbreaks, which would
mean a safer PC environment for everyone.