Windows 8: An Open Door for Cybercriminals?
Windows 8 represents a huge step forward for Microsoft’s operating system, especially for touchscreen devices. Microsoft has also made bold claims that the new system would be less appealing to hackers, thanks to the increased security measures that include built-in antivirus software.
Progress rarely comes without a price, however, and Microsoft may have again underestimated the determination of the hacking community. There are a lot of shiny new features in the new OS and substantial improvements in almost every area, but there are also disturbing weaknesses that cybercriminals could exploit to the full.
The Ongoing Windows Experience
This is not exclusive to Windows 8: every generation of Windows operating system has faced this baptism of fire. A whole new wave of architecture means there are inevitably holes that an army of hackers take great joy in exposing to the world.
It’s an international sport for some, with hackers exchanging bragging rights on forums around the world. For others, it’s big business. Cybercriminals have turned hacking systems in to one of the big growth industries of the new Millennium. So it was not a big surprise that within days of receiving Windows 8, French agency Vupen had found its first virus. That’s how fast this ‘market’ moves.
