Windows 8 not foolproof after all | Bangkok Post: lifestyle

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With all the marketing in full force across the planet it is hard to avoid talking about Windows 8. This also means that different types of people are looking closely at the new operating system and finding issues. You may remember a few weeks back that Windows 8 was going to be the new bastion of security.

There is a new version of Windows Defender that will, according to Bitdefender, allow 16% of the most common malware families to infect Windows 8 machines, based on their testing suite, that is. This allowed backdoors to be opened, machines to be controlled by remote access, keystroke interception and other detrimental effects. To be fair the testing was limited in scope and Bitdefender has a proprietary interest in showing that the Microsoft product is flawed. Security lab AV-Test also performed some preliminary testing against the rebranded Windows 7 Microsoft Security Essentials and had their own reservations. When testing is complete they will issue a full report. The new Windows Defender will offer some protection but it looks like you will still need a third party product to be safe.

Moving onto your new Windows 8-based smartphone a teenager has put together some malware that will steal app data. Shahtanu Gawde will be demonstrating this at the International Malware Conference (MalCon) in New Delhi on Saturday. Last year at age 15, he showed how to attack the Microsoft Xbox Kinect so he has form. Your teenager needs a new hobby.