Windows 7 Still Vulnerable to Viruses - Durr, Really?

Windows 7 is a valuable upgrade delivering an awesome new user interface, but don't expect any major improvements in security.

Anti-virus software vendor Sophos tested Windows 7's built-in anti-virus capabilities by feeding a clean system 10 pieces of the newest malware. Eight out of the 10 samples ran successfully, claims Sophos.

"Unfortunately, despite Microsoft's claims, Windows 7 disappointed just like earlier versions of Windows," says Chester Wisniewski, a senior security advisor at Sophos, in a blog post. "The good news is that, of the freshest 10 samples that arrived, 2 would not operate correctly under Windows 7."

[Elven6]

As long as Windows has a big enough marketshare new viruses will pop up day after day. Fortunately antivirus companies have been pretty quick with cracking down on most of them.

[OmarJA]

Because Antivirus Companies are the ones who make these viruses.

[kaveti6616]

Exactly. Nail on the head, man. They hire people to find the vulnerabilities in the OS and write exploits and viruses to screw with it. Then they spread the virus and then they tell people that they know how to fix it. Norton Antivirus is one of the biggest douchebag antivirus companies.

[Kakkoii]

@OmarJA:

If the major anti-virus companies were really that corrupt, then we'd see them targeting Mac's also. They wouldn't want to leave that market untouched. Since people in that market tend to have the money, and be stupid enough to pay for an anti-virus program.

Fact of the matter is, there are thousands of hackers young and old trying to infect users and profit from the information they gain. Especially with computers becoming more and more popular with each new generation, your seeing a steady increase in the percent of tech enthusiasts ("nerds") in our society. And with that, kids who get into hacking and go perhaps go down that route.

But I wouldn't put it past some companies to get some virus's made, put them out and be the first to counter it. But that would only account for a very tiny portion of the virus's.

[krauley]

I thought it was Apple spreading "windows" virus' lol