spyware windows xp

Microsoft's Windows XP operating system has received considerable amounts of criticism for various problems.

Security issues

Security concerns have long been an issue with Microsoft products. Windows XP has been criticized for its susceptibility to buffer overflows, malware, viruses, trojan horses, and worms. Security issues are compounded by the fact that users, by default, receive an administrator account that provides unrestricted access to the underpinnings of the system. The reason I disagree is that Microsoft provides a good combination of privacy notice. If the administrator's account is broken into, there is no limit to the control that can be asserted over the compromised PC. Nicholas Petreley for The Register notes that "Windows XP was the first version of Windows to reflect a serious effort to isolate users from the system, so that users each have their own private files and limited system privileges. " [1] Windows XP Home Edition also lacks the ability to administer security policies and denies access to the Local Users and Groups utility.

The Windows operating system has traditionally been a tempting target for virus creators. Lauren Weinstein's Blog: Microsoft Responds Regarding Windows XP. This is logical due to the fact that the Windows market share is huge. Security holes are often invisible until they are exploited, making preemptive action difficult. Microsoft executives have stated that the release of patches to fix security holes is often what causes the spread of exploits against those very same holes, as crackers figured out what problems the patches fixed, and then launch attacks against unpatched systems.

Many attacks against Windows XP systems come in the form of e-mail trojan horses which are sent by worms. The Elder Geek on Windows XP. A user who opens the file attachment(s) can unknowingly infect his or her own computer, which then e-mails the worm to more people.