Windows 7 'vulnerable to 8 out of 10 viruses'

Windows 7 is still virus vulnerable, warns a security specialist.

SophosLabs reported in its security blog that a test Windows 7 system on a clean PC was affected by 80 per cent of viruses.

Sophos' Chester Wisniewski, said engineers loaded a full version of Microsoft's recently launched operating system, and configured it to follow system defaults for UAC (User Account Control) without installing an anti-virus package.

Ten samples of net nasties that arrived in the SophosLab security feed were tested to, as Wisniewski put it "see how well the newer, more secure version of Windows and UAC held up".

"Unfortunately, despite Microsoft's claims, Windows 7 disappointed just like earlier versions of Windows," he wrote.

"The good news is that, of the freshest 10 samples that arrived, two would not operate correctly under Windows 7."

Microsoft's Security Intelligence Report released this week said the infection rate of a Windows Vista machine running Service Pack was 61.9% less than on an up-to-date Windows XP computer.

But only around one in five Windows users are using the new operating system or Vista.

"With millions of hosts still infected with Conficker, ZBot and Bredo, it is obvious a lot of unprotected machines are still out there, and it is no surprise that most of those are XP."

"But let's not get complacent," he said, "Microsoft seems to be saying that Vista is the least ugly baby in its family. You can be sure the next report will highlight its even less ugly younger sibling, Windows 7.

"Windows 7 is no cure for the virus blues, so be sure to bring your protection when you boot up."

- NZ HERALD STAFF