Five years ago... Windows 98 flaw lets in hackers

Five years on and nothing much has changed...

28.08.98: A flaw in Windows 98 can allow hackers to see files on PC hard disks, according to US reports. The reports claim files that are not password protected on networked PCs running Windows 98 can be accessed via the system's IP (Internet Protocol) address. The address can be obtained relatively easily if the user is part of a newsgroup where details are passed on via email. Terry Ernest-Jones, senior analyst at IDC, said: "Windows 98 has already had bugs in it. This will encourage people to stall on buying the software and wait for Window NT 5, which is a more secure operating system." 28.08.03: Nothing really changes. Despite its trustworthy computing initiative Microsoft software is still thought of as being inherently insecure. Subsequent operating systems have suffered much-publicised security breaches and the company is struggling to distance itself from the reputation of bug-ridden software. Five years from now the situation will doubtless be the same - though it would certainly benefit the computing public at large if that predication is proved to be wrong.