This week in Windows

Microsoft is fed up with Windows pirates and is laying down the law--no more patches for illegitimate copies.

Aiming to crack down on counterfeit software, Microsoft plans later this year to require customers to verify that their copy of Windows is genuine before downloading security patches and other add-ons to the operating system. Since last fall the company has been testing a tool that can check whether a particular version of Windows is legitimate, but until now the checks have been voluntary.

By the middle of this year, Microsoft will make the verification mandatory in all countries for both add-on features to Windows as well as for all OS updates, including security patches. Microsoft will continue to allow all people to get Windows updates by turning on the Automatic Update feature within Windows.

Microsoft's patch process has spawned an attempt to fool Windows users into downloading and installing a Trojan horse. A fake e-mail message, sent to CNET News.com, purports to be a Microsoft security notification about problems with the Windows operating system.

The message, which carries the subject line "MS Windows/Critical Error," attempts to fool PC users into downloading and installing an attached program. However, numerous spelling and grammar errors in the message could tip people off to the danger.

Meanwhile, antivirus specialist GeCad Net is warning that it has found a problem with Microsoft's most recent software patch for Windows. The security service provider said that a critical patch issued by Microsoft in its MS05-001 bulletin earlier this month fails to resolve all of the security issues surrounding the HTML Help ActiveX control in Windows. Microsoft distributed the fix, along with additional security updates, to address the threat of attackers placing and executing malicious programs such as spyware on affected computers.

Microsoft creates a Linux goldrush

Finally!

The catalyst to speed the adoption of Linux on the desktop is soon to be upon us. Windows (pirated or legitimate) has maintained its overwhelming presence in the marketplace for the past five years due to two principal things: Inertia and the Path of Least Resistance. That paradigm has now been altered. It is one thing for someone to take what they considered an 'acceptable risk' when using a pirated or pre-installed copy of Windows. It is another thing entirely when that path of least resistance has been altered. People will not be willing to PAY for a fundamentally insecure operating system. Microsoft is giving ALL Linux vendors a gift that will last a lifetime.

Thank you, Microsoft.

[MediaNoxStella]

True, but Linux is still not for most people

This is true, I agree this is going to be a gift. However will more home users use Linux from now on?

I do not think so. Please look at the fact, Linux is still too much for regula users. I had been a long time Linux user and I developed programs for Bioinformatics on Linux systems. But I still will not tell my friends to use Linux if they only know how to turn on the computer and use internet.

This is going to be risk for all Windows user, both legal and illegal

[MediaNoxStella]

This is going to come sooner or later

I have to say, this is a good way for "trying" to stop those illegal copies to Windows, however MS should remember most virus come attack Windows. yes, by attacking the holes.
Had they even found out that there is not a lot of people applying the patch if not auto-update is not on? So will those illegial copies holders care about the hole as long as their systems are running and save them some money?!
This will only increase the risk on using Windows.

MS fear of Pirated software?

I seem to remember something similar in the
early 80's with disk protection and prohibitive
copy-protection tools.

Doesn't anyone realize someone, somewhere, may
come up with a way to patch MS systems
themselves and continue pirating Windows? (For
example sites like BIGFIX, The Software Patch,
and VersionTracker to name a few....)

IMHO, due to their protective behavior,
Microsoft may be ushering in the wider
acceptance of LINUX as a Desktop replacement.

It has already happened with many companies'
server implementations.

A lot of large and small companies, mine
included, have pushed aside SOME of Microsoft's
software. Many know the reality of TCO and have
seen real cost savings and much better security
by implementing LINUX instead of Microsoft
solutions.

My business operates in the Military training
and simulation arena. More and more of the large
core Military contractors (i.e. Lockheed Martin,
SAIC, Anteon....) already support running their
military simulation software on LINUX platforms.

In fact, one unnamed large contractor has MS
Exchange to support their users, and possibly
due to poor, expensive or inadequate solutions
for anti-virus and anti-junk on Exchange, have
had to install a LINUX mail gateway running
opensource software to scrub email for both
Virus and JUNK emails. Before this LINUX box was
in place, it would take well over 15-20 minutes
to get an email to your coworker in the next
office across the hall! (Not to mention the
network being brought to it's knees during the
last SASSER outbreak.)

-JM2Cents-

[fred dunn]

Good Point

I hope for everybodys sake that people with pirated software do know how to get around MS blocking security updates. I had not thought about BigFix. There are enough MS OS systems that are zombie bots out there spamming and ready to spread mayhem out there. We don't need anything else to slow down the Internet and make the rest of us miserable because M$ is worried that they haven't gotten their money.

Fred Dunn

[fred dunn]

Just Great...More Bot Machines on the Internet

What Microsoft is proposing will fill the Internet with vulnerable systems. What vulnerable systems wind up becoming at one point or another are remote controlled Bots. These remote controlled Bots are the scourge of the Internet since they can be remote controlled to perform a highly concentrated Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) against legitimate websites or even the top level DNS services.
Microsoft if your listening we understand your pain but regardless of the legitimacy of the OS license you should provide security updates to these systems. Deny them the other updates and features but don't make their indescretions everybody elses problem. They have hit you with a DDoS before, didn't you learn your lesson then?

Thanks,
Fred Dunn

[pballfreak34]

So What?

People can get whatever they want over the Ares or Warez network. They got XP and will continue to get updates via the network, unless serious action is taken there is no way to stop this.

[zeroplane]

Serious Action? Like what?

Shutting down the internet as we know it and forcing everyone to run MSN via Satellite links on a proprietary infrastructure?

I'm sure Micro$oft would love to have this as a reality. But, most of us know it just won't happen. Especially in the European and Asia continents.