Researchers: Malware attackers reloading for Windows 7 assaults
Friday, November 20, 2009
A report issued yesterday by computer security firm Symantec says that hackers are undoubtedly reworking their malicious software to target Windows 7 as more users switch to the latest version of Microsoft's flagship OS.
The report lists an "unlucky 13" online security trends and tips, which was reprinted at Internet News. Entry number five on the list says the more widespread Windows 7 becomes, the more attractive it will be to cyber criminals. The report notes that Microsoft has already had to patch several critical security flaws in the OS.
The first tip on Symantec's list, however, reads simply "Antivirus is not enough," and subsequently goes into some detail about the rapid proliferation of disparate types of malware, many of which are not detectable by conventional anti-virus solutions.
Symantec is hardly the only researcher to warn about potential vulnerabilities in Windows 7. An independent security analyst was the first to discover the aforementioned zero-day flaw, and others have highlighted the dangers of leaving any version of the OS unpatched and vulnerable to attack.
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