Ten years of Windows malware and Microsoft's security response
Summary: They don't make malware like they used to. Literally.Back in 2002, Microsoft and its customers were forced to deal with an unprecedented outbreak of attacks on Windows that threatened the company's survival. In this gallery, I show how malware authors and Microsoft's security response have evolved over the past decade.
Image 1 of 17
Malware is short for malicious software, and it’s been a nagging problem on Windows since at least the mid-1990s.
In January 2002, after a series of high-profile and highly embarrassing attacks that affected Windows customers and Microsoft itself, Bill Gates wrote his now famous “Trustworthy Computing” memo. Although it was viewed with some skepticism at the time, it really did represent a turning point for Microsoft.
Until that point, security was literally an afterthought. As a result of the Trustworthy Computing initiative, Microsoft introduced a massive change in the way it develops software. The Security Development Lifecycle has paid off hugely over the last 10 years and has been widely praised and copied.
Today, as this chart shows, most malware is installed via social engineering or by using exploits that target vulnerabilities that have already been patched.
Kick off your day with ZDNet's daily email newsletter. It's the freshest tech news and opinion, served hot. Get it.
Talkback
phishing in Mozilla Thunderbird
Turn on the status bar...
success in Mozilla Thunderbird anti-phishing
Thank you! I will feel much safer as I've read life's overabundance of e-mails.
Very interesting
Neither Have I
Remembering Blaster
Break Down of Viruses and malware for each Windows version
On other post I keep hearing how windows has thousands upon thousands of malware and viruses, but how many for each version? To me a malware/virus for Win95, most likely would not affect Windows 7, and vice versus.
Windows Defender Doesn't Defend
I'm a big Microsoft fan, but they are still newbies compared to others when it comes to malware protection (although they have become extremely good at patching their code). Like many of their products, Microsof bought Forefront, they did not create it. I haven't used Forefront, but they still have a ways to go before they are up to par with Windows Defender (which uses the same engine as Forefront).
windows defender? you should've installed windows security essentials
Defender info
No, incorrect, I should not have installed Windows Security Essentials, mainly because it was not available to the public at the time, lol. I was referring to the standalone Windows Defender product prior to Security Essentials that was supposed to protect against spyware. In my case, it failed.
On a related note, I also use Security Essentials on Win7 Pro, and it has also allowed multiple infections (this calendar year) that I had to clean manually.
As for Forefront, you are incorrect again. It used to be called Antigen, from a company called Sybari that Microsoft bought in June, 2005.
A little more effort on your part would also be fine. :-) Thanks.
The big change in WinXP sp2 was that there were breaking changes
NX memory pages
You forgot something - the Sony `rootkit` fiasco
Now, you know why scraped windows off my system, and now use Linux!
Oh, come on, that's not Windows' fault
That Sony is still a "trusted" name in consumer electronics is a bit of a surprise. Then again, the Wall Street bond rating agencies are still around too.
RE: that's not Windows fault
First, In a way, it was, no thanks to [i]Autoplay[/i]. An audio CD [b]should NOT[/b] have been allowed to install software!!!! How long did it take Microsoft to disable this?
Second, the complicity by AV companies, and to an extent, Microsoft, in dealing with it.
Third: [i]That Sony is still a "trusted" name in consumer electronics[/i]; which is why, I have no sympathy for them WRT being hacked. [b]That[/b] (hacking) does not extend to distribution of potentially identifiable information. Teaching Sony, and its brazen executives a lesson, is one thing; passing out credit card numbers, etc, is another.
Fourth: [i]Wall Street bond rating agencies are still around too[/i], simple, just remember the `golden rule`: [b]He who has the GOLD, rules[/b] (aka `Money Talks, Bulls--- Walks`)
Fifth: [i]...a trusted source (like say, Sony (before this fiasco)) put driver code up in Linux repositories, it would be trusted and installed on Linux boxes.[/i] You are probably right, however, once the s--- hit the fan, the bad code would have been pulled, and workarounds would have appeared. FOSS supporters have always had a good reason [b]NOT[/b] to trust any DRM scheme.
He mentioned TDL4!
Forget his name, but he accuses ZDNet of never mentioning that one [i]all of the time.[/i] To the point where it's rather annoying.
I'm gonna link to this article now whenever he shows up and accuses ZDNet of a coverup . . .
Glad you noticed
Windows Security
Windows XP Firewalls
Windows XP Service Pack 2 included a totally different and effective firewall which, however, also was not enabled by default.
winXP firewall