Ballmer finesses MS security probs
p2pnet.net News:- When it comes to security Microsoft’s reputation is a little, well, patchy.
It’s infamous for issuing fixes for vulnerabilities which are all too often labelled critical but, says ceo Steve Ballmer, only 30% of antivirus software installed on PCs is up to date.
In other words, it’s you, not Microsoft.
"Every individual, every business, every organization, every government agency that uses a computer also has a responsibility to ensure that they’re protected," Ballmer is quoted as saying in a TechNewsWorld story here.
He also said the circle of active hackers today is largely "far-flung and anonymous" but could wreak havoc on the country’s computers "in a matter of minutes."
Ballmer was at a talk for “IT insiders"sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), says the report, continuing that he also outlined Redmond’s antihacker and antispyware strategies, indicating that Internet Explorer will be bolstered with anti-pop-up protection and improved e-mail integration to kill spam.
"But he also stated that Windows will continue to be a target of Internet thugs because of its pervasiveness," he said. "If there were 100 million operating systems, no one would attack."
Uh Yep. That’d be about right.
The TechNewsWorld story also quotes him as saying the best lock in the world is useless if the front door is left open or the key is under the mat – also quite correct.
"Microsoft is working with the Business Software Alliance and an industry group on Internet security cooperation," he states.
The remarks came during the same week that the federally funded Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) released its annual report which said that from January through December 2003, the CERT Coordination Center received 542,754 e-mail messages and more than 934 hotline calls reporting computer security incidents or requesting information, says TechNewsWorld, adding "We received 3,784 vulnerability reports and handled 137,529 computer security incidents during this period," the report said.
