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Reassuing facts concerning Windows computers

Posted in Random, Stupid, Tech by Derek at 11:17 am
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According to a UK study, Windows computers are a constant target for malicious activity online. A test computer was setup to record any and all activity resulting with a collection of interesting information concerning the security risks involved each and every time your computer is connected to the internet.

Home PCs could be under attack from hackers over 50 times a night, suggests a BBC News Website experiment. The BBC News Website team set up a honeypot’ PC – a computer that looks like a normal PC online but records everything that’s done to it – in order to find out the dangers facing web users. Every single time the ‘honeypot’ was put online it was attacked. In one of the busiest nights of malicious online activity, the computer was attacked 53 times

Studies like these challenge the knowledge individuals have concerning personal computing security. How confident are you when it comes to personal security and safe computing practices?

8 Responses to “Reassuing facts concerning Windows computers”

  1. Sam says:

    I watched this on BBC1 a week ago or something. They said that they got attempts of intrusion every 13 or so minutes.

  2. Derek says:

    Now that is scary. No wonder security experts say that as soon as you get online you’re bound to have an intrusion of some sort.

  3. Adam says:

    I’m pretty confident. I primarily use Macs at home, with the one computer with XP on it only being booted up for gaming, and a few other uses (less than 10 hours a week), plus everything is behind a NAT router, and each of the machines has all of the unnecessary services turned off.

  4. Derek says:

    Let’s hope that the next release of Windows helps users stay a little safer online. I boot Windows via Parallels and I’m still paranoid about what I view while browsing. Very rare to run Windows though. Thanks to utilities like CrossOver Window as an operating system will be no longer exist in my mind.

  5. Intellihence says:

    I really couldn’t tell you that much about Microsofts next OS , but I will say this ” Microsoft is going to be in a big bind when Vista is released . “

  6. Alex says:

    I made the switch to Apple Mac in May best move I ever made sure Apple
    has security issues too but come on Microsoft leaves users to the Wolfs for an entire month and if it wasn’t for third parties stepping and providing temporary fixes you wouldn’t last long online.

  7. Chriss says:

    Microsoft suck and so does their software. Vista is shagged already.
    Never had a problem with Mac, (apart from their p*ss-poor customer service) I’m running Powerbooks and a MacBookPro (Way cool!). My partner runs her architects practice with a mix of G4/5’s and PowerBooks; never had a problem in 9 years.
    Anyone that is serious about their work doesn’t run PC’s with Microsoft.
    I love my Macs…How many PC users can say the same?

  8. Daryl Gregg says:

    Well, The scary facts are true. First off I own a Mac & PC use both. Macs are no safer than pcs. and probaly have more security holes. Now the diffrence lies in 98% of the world runs windows and is targeted far more.

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