![\"\"](\"http:\/\/www.gratuitousscience.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2010\/02\/Windows-security.gif\" "\\"Windows")
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It’s from the good old Windows 98 operating system.\u00a0 I still have that installed on my very first PC, along with Ubuntu running LXDE.\u00a0 I use that Windows computer for old DOS games.\u00a0\u00a0 Some DOS only emulators I have only work on that thing too.<\/p>\n
Anyway, I don’t have an internet connection for the Windows partition.\u00a0 I’ve disabled all network devices in the Windows Hardware Manager.\u00a0 That’s some good security.\u00a0 What is being shown on that animated gif though is a classic example of Microsoft’s whole approach to security.<\/p>\n
It’s an afterthought.\u00a0 Even now, after getting such a horrendous reputation for bad or no security in their software, they’re playing catchup.<\/p>\n
The truth is that Windows was developed as a workstation OS.\u00a0 Back when PCs were not connected to any network, and all they did was take floppies and spit text.\u00a0 And sometimes clip art.\u00a0 Unix – and hence Linux – were always intended for network use.\u00a0 That’s why the *nix operating systems (Apple’s Mac OS included as it’s a BSD derivative) all have their strong security “baked in”.<\/p>\n
Microsoft patches and patches again their “spaghetti code” until a new vulnerability is found, then they patch it again.\u00a0 The new kernel being used for Vista and Windows 7 is a great step in the right direction for security, but being MS, it’s still not secure at all under scrutiny.<\/p>\n
I could go for some baked spaghetti.\u00a0 Mmmmmm.<\/p>\n
I’ve mentioned before that I like using Linux and Windows XP.\u00a0 I still do.\u00a0 And on all the machines I have running XP, I either have disabled internet functionality or run them virtually with no important data or crucial applications running on them.\u00a0 And I’ve got the latest and best firewall, anti-spyware and antivirus applications running constantly.<\/p>\n
I’ve had viruses and trojans before.\u00a0 One on Windows 98 and one on XP.\u00a0 Those were what made me decide to finally switch to Linux.\u00a0 Now, if I somehow got any malware at all on this virtual windows I run here, all I have to do is close VirtualBox and restore a previous backup of my .vdi file.\u00a0 That file is basically the whole virtual machine, so it’s better than any software fix could be.<\/p>\n
There’s another interesting graphic I found a while ago.\u00a0 It shows that HP printer ink is more expensive than human blood:<\/p>\n