The point I was making was the length of time for fixes, Microsoft was Told, but waited 6 months before patching. Don't get me wrong. I use and need windows too, But OE is the security weakness of every version of windows, Releases are very slow, How long has IE 6.0 been out ? I still recall doing the Supporting Windows Course , Yep the Microsoft one, and getting told to re-install every PC every 6 months, Now under the guise of Better security testing, fixes take forever to be released, This is a bad thing. Other programs Like thunderbird, can be updated regularly, have less threats targeting them, and tend to fix security issues in 2-4 weeks. Since moving OE off the machines I support, my problems with machines have been reduced.
Strip back the FUD; apply the standard "there are security holes in Linux applications fixed all the time, but Gartner Group rarely complains about them, and if they do, it gets written off as anti-MS propaganda
Agreed, but the key here is that they are fixed, and fixed faster, Linux's issues are that for many users there is no simple windows update tool to keep the security issues going, but this discussion is about outlook express, not Linux, and that only runs on windows 98-XP not Linux. If you want to do a correct comparison locate holes that thunderbird, and Outlook express have, and mean time to fix. or OE and Peagsus would also be a Valid comparison
I've been using Outlook Express for several years now. I've never once passed a virus onto anyone.
I bet you have a good firewall, and have an awareness of computer related isssues, My wifes family have none, have trashed 3 machines due to viruses, but the issues vanished when I changed their mail clients, and installed firewalls, and other fixes, every month or two I update the machines, and since then viruses and worms have been a non issue, Even thought they open every attachment they get (don't ask me why), But if you have less than skilled users, do them a favour, move them off OE. Not off windows, just off OE. I also put a Linux box configured as a router and a dial up modem in to filter the mail, and act as a firewall, but to them its the internet connect box. (a customised appliance.) I have to set up their modems anyway, so it was a minor change.
Coincidence? I think not. If Linux had the market share that Windows had, then there'd be exploits found and abused in Linux. They might be fixed quicker, but anything we say about that hypothetical situation is mere speculation at this point.
Again OE doesn't run on Linux. so a mute point. And its not speculation, Redhat had a big issue about a year back, and the fix time was 6 days. Redhat had the update tools, and for Ximian users it was 8 days. kernel 2.4.22 was fixed in 20 days. Thunderbirds releases are about every month, Not the 6 months that Microsoft feels is acceptable. (and for the record, I use slackware which doesn't have the tools... Sadly)
Yes, some of these viewpoints are exaggerated for this post, but just because some Windows users are a problem doesn't mean they all are.
Blaster used an old exploit, Microsoft knew about it, didn't fix it, then blamed the people who reported the bug for the exploits use. The real issue here is that people trust the software when they shouldn't, We all have a responsibility to tell every user that no software does the job, and only good policy (If you don't expect X to send that attachment... dont open it.) will save them. We also Limit what attachment we will let through. If its not in the approved list, or from the right place its blocked and we have to manually check it. It in the internet use policy so if they use the work connection, they know we may read it. (that policy reduced our e-mail traffic by almost 40%). But as a support person, I have to tell my clients OE is a particularly bad bit of software, and there are choices. Of course, If they use Mac OS 10.3 or Linux, then they have all the tools without needing to add anything. If they need windows, they don't need OE. But since this is LUG, I am now officially off topic. and will close my diatribe there