Microsoft: Third party apps are killing our security

[FreewheelinFrank]

Users of Vista get clobbered by third-party attacks, where XP users got clobbered by Windows and third-party attacks.

http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=10639

[FreewheelinFrank]

Microsoft Security Report: A Mixed Bag

Microsoft's successes in producing more secure software are being offset in part by organized cyber criminals, who continue to make inroads into customer PCs largely through faulty third-party software and old-fashioned trickery, the software giant said in a report released today.

The analysis comes in Microsoft's latest "Security Intelligence Report," which examined the prevalence of malicious software threats removed from Windows machines by the company's various free and subscription security offerings in the first half of this year.

Malware that promotes rogue security and anti-virus programs continues to be the largest single security problem plaguing Microsoft Windows users, the company said. Redmond found that Trojan horse programs - specifically, those that attempt so-called drive-by downloads -- were responsible for the biggest share of malicious software Microsoft removed from systems this year (about 30 percent). The overwhelming majority of that malware highlights non-existent threats on the victim's PC in an effort to scare the victim into buying bogus security software.

Microsoft said "Win32/Zlob" and "Win32/Renos," both long associated with these "scareware" products, were responsible for 96 percent of computers scrubbed of Trojans and downloaders. The third most prevalent Trojan on Windows machines this year - "Win32/Virtumonde" - is another nasty Trojan connected to scareware marketing.

Microsoft said its security products cleaned PCs of roughly 16 million of these scareware-related Trojans in the first half of this year.

Not surprisingly, the prevalence of these programs is being fueled by huge profits that hackers can make by foisting them on unsuspecting users. Joe Stewart, director of malware research at SecureWorks in Atlanta, found that hackers who sign up with cyber criminal syndicates to install and spread fake security programs like AntivirusXP2008/2009 can earn commissions of anywhere from $58,000 to $158,000 in a single week.

In September, Microsoft joined Washington State in filing a number of lawsuits to learn the identities of those profiting from scareware products.

Much of the data in this report reads a bit like an ad for Microsoft Vista, Redmond's latest version of Windows. The software giant includes a number of graphics explaining why consumers are safer using Vista than any other Microsoft OS. But it fails to mention that the feature that probably protects users the most -- called "user account control" -- pops up an annoying "are you sure you want to do this" message so many times that people are apt to eventually turn it off

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2008/11/microsoft_security_report_a_mi.html

[RejZoR]

Well, ppl disabling UAC (those dreaded annnoying and god knows what else popups) are on their own when they get pwned by malware.
No one forces you to disable that like no one disables car airbags just because it might destroy your hair styling when you crash or not use seatbelts because they slightly limit your movement in car. If you crash and die it's your fault. Same with UAC.
I'm a computer veterean (i could say) and UAC doesn't bother me at all. In fact it saved me quite some times from doing something stupid (like accidentally running malware that was suppose to be moved to quarantine or submitted to AV vendors).
I just clicked Cancel. On XP i'd be already looking through files and registry to clean the mess...
Also UAC keeps system clean for longer because it doesn't allow all the junk and every program to modify system settings like they wish.
Even if you give them admin rights through "Run as administrator" they are treated more strictly internally by OS.

[Lisandro]

UAC doesn't bother me at all. In fact it saved me quite some times

I feel the same...

[essexboy]

I third that

[DavidR]

Doesn't bother me either, but then again I'm not using Vista

Though XP SP3 introduces a little extra step to running executable file, a pop-up are you sure you want to run this software, Run or Cancel. There is a box which you can uncheck and it wouldn't be displayed but it isn't intrusive and just an added security step so it will be staying.