'I don't say Vista doesn't need antivirus software'

On November 10, Windows operating system president Jim Allchin had to write a post on Windows Vista Team Blog apologizing for the clutter caused by claiming ' Windows Vista is really safe that he doesn't I need to install any antivirus software on my 7-year-old son's PC '.

' In a recent press talk about the version of Windows Vista Release to Manufacturing, I covered a number of problems with Internet attacks that are becoming more complex and about Windows Vista being equipped. Security features are capable of resisting those threats. Some people have misunderstood and argue that I declare that customers using Vista will not need to use antivirus software , 'Allchin's article said.

Talking to reporters in the middle of last week, Mr. Allchin is confident that Vista is much safer than Windows XP SP2. There are many security features in Vista that are not included in XP SP2. Allchin took his 7-year-old son as an example.

' My 7-year-old son has been using Windows Vista. To be honest, its PC does not have any antivirus software installed. I use the Parental Controls feature to block its PC. It can only download what I allow. This is something that I dare not claim to Windows XP SP 2 '.

Two new security features in Vista have caused Mr. Allchin to change the notion that the Parental Controls feature and Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR) - the feature that allows Vista to recreate the source of the system kernel object on memory. Different RAM after each call to avoid malicious attacks.

However, soon after Mr. Allchin realized his words were not clear, he said he never said that Vista did not need anti-virus software. ' Using a timely anti-virus solution is extremely important even if security features are integrated into any operating system .'

' What I want to say here is that Vista has security features that can significantly improve customer security. The example I mentioned is just to prove the advanced security solutions in Windows Vista '.

React

But soon afterwards, many analysts questioned Mr. Allchin's statement. They also cited the words of the Windows operating system president in 2001 that Windows XP has no buffer overflow errors. Time proved a complete opposite. Some argue that Allchin makes a statement that Vista is so safe that it doesn't need anti-virus software just a windbreaking tactic for security software makers like Symantec or McAfee - those that have criticized the computer. PatchGuard feature of Vista.

' I agree that Vista has many advanced security features, but we also have to realize the fact that up to 90% of viruses spread through email ,' said Alex Eckelberry, Sunbelt Software's CEO. ' If you receive an email that says' Please reset your password by opening the following attachment '. You open it and it is a virus. Actually it's a downloader trojan. What Vista will do to protect you in this case . '

' If everyone views their employees as a 7-year-old and 100% PC locks with Parental Control, the virus is hard to penetrate ,' said Gartner analyst John Pescatore. But this will not happen in reality. Vista still needs anti-virus software.

' As long as you allow users to download anything, you need anti-virus software, because it will be a steel wall that blocks virus and computer worms. Next you need antivirus software to remove the virus before it causes too much harm to the system . '

Expert Pescatore only agreed with Mr. Allchin that Windows is becoming more and more secure. ' Windows Server 2003 has fewer security flaws than Windows 2000 Server. This is the first operating system version that pays great attention to security. Vista is a version of the PC operating system that has such features '.