It’s also a well known fact that windows still uses a lot of legacy software in it’s build. There are still 0 day flaws that have existed since Windows 3.1. If I were to compare Windows to Apple or Linux their RTM versions of their software is more like an alpha build, and not a true version. This was very apparent with Vista, Win95, and WinME.

If MS developers followed the Unix mantra MS software would be 10 time better, but they are so focused in getting newer version out there to make money that software is more or less forced on users. If they took the time to make it work well, and be stable I would gladly pay for MS software. WinXP was the only recent decent version on windows that was released after Win98 SE.

Anyone remember the fiasco of the Win95 floppy install? How about the incompatibilities of Win Vista, or how unstable Win ME was?

MS Windows was built to be a single user per system non-network OS, and they keep building on more features that don’t work great, and that isn’t stable. Another thing about windows is they don’t push updates as soon as they are available. It’s all a month-to-month deal. One other thing I think MS can do is go to a rolling update schedule, and release updates that are crucial immediately when the updates are proven stable.

Do you have a link to your own personal blog so that we can follow anything and everything you’ve got to say?

It’s been reported regularly over the years the the majority of these types of servers are Linux servers, there Linux is dominant, not Microsoft and yet due to the nature of the opensource community, the nature of how these systems are secured and administered is a big part of how the problems and attacks on them are resolved quicker and with fewer dire results.

This is not to say that more aren’t custom made for Windows because of it’s enormous install base and it’s well known historic flaws that they slowly and intentionally drag their feet to change. There are, it’s true. But as the initial post says, are we not going to place responsibility on those who should have made the software better to begin with and made fixes sooner rather than much later?

No, MS gets no “cookie”, more like an “it’s about time”.

Less XP systems will improve the situation somewhat, but I’ve already had enough of work fixing Vista and W7 systems to know that it isn’t any real cure. Pawn2own contests still proves that quality of code has an impact.

Microsoft isn’t doomed to fail security, but I’m still convinced a total rewrite from scratch is necessary to get it right from bottom to top. Windows’ legacy still goes back to the days security wasn’t a concern and the Internet wasn’t believed to become a major force (according to some important figures within Microsoft). Just the fact that one of the important tasks in later years have been to sort out the layers of the Windows kernel, making road for Windows Core (which still isn’t core in the same way we would understand a core Linux kernel) tells about the challenges Microsoft deal with. Also remember that Microsoft by choice hence have to maintain several kernels and operating systems, desktop, server, smartphone devices, and so on. Even for a wealthy company like Microsoft that’s a long-term problem.

Therefore I don’t see it as a Linux vs. Microsoft issue. Microsoft has their hands full to make development rolling and it won’t become easier. Security improvements have been made, but I think this situation indicates that Microsoft’s challenge is greater than the one Linux vendors deal with.

More significant than K.Mandla writing a few thoughts about it, is the clever strategy found in the Microsoft blog post. For the not knowing the impression given is that Microsoft did a good deed for the general public of the Internet, while hiding any relation to what operating system Rustock compromise.

microsoft lovers are good trained users:
don’t question microsoft and look over your shoulder anyone who does.
just thank them for all the great things they do for you, and pay them for the exquisite privilege of using windows

bitch and moan, bitch and moan.