How safe is Windows?

[NT1440]

Though I don't agree with your point about Win being more secure, we really have no idea. We know that Windows is susceptible to viruses, trojans, but we don't know anything about these dangers in OS X. Apple never tells us about any fixes and what the problems were, MS is on the other hand very open in their security fixes for Windows.

My point being, we don't really know if OS X is as secure as we think it is.

That was hilarious!

Apparently no one can test an OS's security other than the makers themselves......

 

[Eric S.]

Apparently no one can test an OS's security other than the makers themselves......

The OS makers or the virus makers?

 

[Buzz Bumble]

There is only one foolproof way to have a safe Windows computer ... don't take it out of the box.

High Five!!

Unfortunately I realised later that even that isn't going to work since some PCs have shipped from the factory with nasties already installed (especially some of the no-name cheapo brands).

 

[Nano2k]

I think it's rather funny all of you guys giving your opinions on this matter as if they were facts when in reality they are not. I'm not an expert either so I am not going to say who is right or wrong.
I guess the only real advantage of OSX is less viruses, but at the same time if you are minimally computer educated it's BS to say that you automatically get a virus in Windows after 2 minutes online. The integrated firewall is sufficient and so is the free anti-virus MS offers.
You just have to stop visting crap sites and not install crap.

If you are in a loop of uneducated Windows users that share crapware and files with viruses all the time and that you are not computer literate enough to steer away from them that is again another story.

The winner of the latest hacking contest, won by hacking a Mac, will reveal 20 security holes in OSX at the next conference.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/19/charlie-miller-to-reveal-20-zero-day-security-holes-in-mac-os-x/

My personal opinion is at the end of the day, one OS security might be weaker in some department but stronger in the other. They booth are probably very close overall.

 

[Eric S.]

I guess the only real advantage of OSX is less viruses

You mean no viruses.

The winner of the latest hacking contest, won by hacking a Mac, will reveal 20 security holes in OSX at the next conference.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/03/19/charlie-miller-to-reveal-20-zero-day-security-holes-in-mac-os-x/

We'll see what he comes up as far as actual Apple software is concerned. It's already known that a bunch of these are in third-party SW like Flash or PDF content, and others are in open source components, so there's no surprise there.