SP2 to cause Microsoft support call flood?

Microsoft can expect thousands of extra technical support calls after the release of its security update for Windows XP this summer, according to security analysts.

The Windows XP security update will turn security options on by default, which means that many users will need to reconfigure their software in order to connect to wireless networks, game servers and even their home networks.

Microsoft faced strong criticism for its slack attitude to security until two years ago, when chairman Bill Gates decided to change the company's software development procedures and make security a top priority. The Service Pack 2 (SP2) is designed to completely change the way Windows XP handles security by automatically turning on the firewall and consolidating the operating system's security functions.

Russ Cooper, chief scientist at risk management specialists TruSecure and editor of the NTBugtraq newsletter, said SP2 will be a "huge step forward" for Microsoft security and represents a "significant shift" in Microsoft's attitude.

But Cooper warns that increased security means more technical support calls: "Turning on the Internet Connection Firewall will cause consumers to not be able to access services they were able to access prior to the SP, such as game servers. This will result in support calls, as the consumer tries to get back what they had prior to SP installation," he said.

"Microsoft has always erred on the side of reduced support calls. Here, they err on the side of security," he said.

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant for antivirus firm Sophos, applauded Microsoft for making security easier to use but again warned that the number of users requiring technical support was bound to increase significantly: "In the past, they disabled anything that might have caused a technical-support issue. The attitude now is that all of your security is already on, and you only turn off those elements that you don't feel you want--as it should be," he said.

Paul Randle, Windows client product manager at Microsoft, said SP2 will mean fewer support calls, because fewer people will be exposed to threats.

"One of the anticipated benefits of SP2 is that it will actually reduce support calls by better protecting customers from attack. Windows XP SP2 is designed to provide new security tools and better control over security settings, so it is easier and less costly for you to protect your network or your PC," he said.

Additionally, Randle said Microsoft's partners will receive "extensive" training on SP2 so that they will be able to service any additional calls: "By working with a close network of partners and training them on SP2...any additional demand for technical support for SP2 will be met," he said.

Munir Kotadia of ZDNet UK reported from London.

[Que.Ball]

Firewalls go up. Spyware still runs rampant.

The next frontier for MS will have to be some way of preventing spyware from running without explicit permission.

Perhaps they need to make the user "bless" their executables and drastically improve the ability of the system to uninstall software even when the vendor does not provide an uninstall proceedure.

[rodnarms]

This already exists

This is what Max OS X does. You must enter your account
password everytime you wish to install a new program. In
theory, because this has never happened to me yet, if a program
tried to install something on my computer without me knowing,
I would have had to bless it with my password.

What you want already exists, and works well, on another
platform.

[bjbrock]

Hacks aren't attacking security!

All of these new security features sound really good. Just one prolem: it's not the security that is being hacked! It's holes in MS's code. Both OS and application. SP2 will hit the streets but the true issue will still be there. Hackers don't need to worry about breaking security. Holes and poor design makes XP vulnerable. All this talk about security is a smoke screen!!! Firewalls only protect ports that aren't listening. If you use a MS written service which has to listen, then the firewall has to let traffic through. Then we are back to the same flawed code and nothing has been acomplished. PERIOD. Wake up people, no one is attacking security, they don't need to, MS has enough holes that will still be there and you are still at risk. Is no one tired of the MS rhetoric which does not address real issues?

[rodnarms]

Longhorn is the computing Messiah

Don't you know that Longhorn will fix all your reliability
problems? Come on, just pay $150 when it comes out in 2010.
All your problems will be solved. We *promise.*

I'm obviously being sarcastic. I apologize.

[PHYSICIAN THOMAS STEWART VON D]

I LIKE SP2.

I DOWNNLOADED FOR EACH PARTITION, ABOUT 25 MINUTES. ALTHOUGH I HAVE TO TURN OFF FIREWALL FOR DOWNLOADING SOFTWARE, IT HAS STABLIZED MY SYSTEM, WHICH CRASHED OFTEN. AS 64 IS DEVELOPED, IN SEVERAL YEARS, I HOPE TO CHANGE OVER.AS MY COMPUTER MAINBOARD ONCE SHORTED OUT FRONT USB PORT PINS WHEN PAID "TECHICIAN" INSTALLED MAINBOARD.SIGNED:PHYSICIAN THOMAS STEWART VON DRASHEK M.D.

SP2 link incorrect.

Your link to SP2 points to the "Office XP SP2" and not "Windows XP SP2" as the article indicates. These two service packs are completely different and Office XP SP2 does nothing to change how the operating system works. This invalid information might (and probably has) cause someone to go ahead, download and install the service pack. At the moment SP2 for windows xp isn't publicly available.

I work for MS doing Support

I can assure that SP2 has drastically increased the amount of calls I receive on a daily basis.