Daniel
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-26
Pleasanton, CA
clubs: 
1 edit |  Poll: Your faith in XP SP2
Poll
Do you believe XP SP2 will significantly effect how people view Microsoft as a security software company? |
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view results · flash pie chart
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`cat knowledge | grep understanding` |
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Daniel
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-26
Pleasanton, CA
clubs:
| I personally have some pretty high hopes for SP2. I've been running it for a while now at home, and it seems pretty nice. I think the odds are that in 2-5 years, Microsoft may have successfully killed the security monkey that's been riding their backs. I think the only reason they haven't up until now is that it was never a true priority for them. Now it is.
Their main mission now is to aquire the strengths that the Linux proponents claim that their system has over Windows. Security is the big one, and I think SP2 could take them a long way in that category.
Here's to hoping...
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`cat knowledge | grep understanding` |
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John2g
Qui Tacet Consentit
Premium
join:2001-08-10
England
| reply to Daniel
I answered No. That is because I answered your question "Do you believe XP SP2 will significantly effect how people view Microsoft as a security software company?"
If you had asked the question whether I thought it likely to improve the security of XP, I would have to say Yes.
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Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt. |
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Rygel
Learn How To Use Reply
Premium
join:2001-11-17
Malone, NY
clubs: | reply to Daniel
Is SP2 released to the public or is it in beta? |
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John2g
Qui Tacet Consentit
Premium
join:2001-08-10
England
| said by Rygel  :
Is SP2 released to the public or is it in beta?
It is still beta.
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Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt. |
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atangel
Now What??
Premium
join:2002-02-18
Bronx, NY
| reply to Rygel
Not officially. They do have a release candidate (2) that was released (e.g., still testing, but we are pretty sure it mostly works, but still checking and your system is the guinea pig).
I answered "no" as well, I'm with John2g. I would have answered "Not sure" otherwise.
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The reason you think I'm way on the left is 'cause you're so far to the right.
Dell Dimension, XP Pro, 2.4 Ghz, 512MB, BEFSX41, ZAP 5, NOD32, BOClean, a2, Adaware, Spybot, MW Pro, The Bat! |
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Rygel
Learn How To Use Reply
Premium
join:2001-11-17
Malone, NY
clubs: | reply to John2g
Any idea on a release date and are there any new features coming with it? Thanks. |
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Daniel
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-26
Pleasanton, CA
clubs:
| reply to John2g
said by John2g :
If you had asked the question whether I thought it likely to improve the security of XP, I would have to say Yes.
Well, what I meant was, "Would it improve security and make people take notice of this fact." So the question I asked was meant to include the question of whether or not security was improved. I should have been more clear...
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`cat knowledge | grep understanding` |
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John2g
Qui Tacet Consentit
Premium
join:2001-08-10
England
| said by Daniel :
I should have been more clear...
Back to the drawing board 
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Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt. |
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Daniel
Premium,MVM
join:2000-06-26
Pleasanton, CA
clubs:
| reply to Rygel
said by Rygel :
Any idea on a release date and are there any new features coming with it?
It's coming this summer sometime, and its enhancements include better security for IE, Outlook Express, and the addition of a more powerful firewall. The most exciting thing I have seen is the fact that the firewall is on by default - a major shift in pihilosophy for the company.
But if they were able to lock down IE and OE (the two major ways users inflict pain on themselves), and then block worm propogation via the firewall, I think they could have a winning combination on their hands.
Oh, and IE now has popup blocking built into it...
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`cat knowledge | grep understanding` |
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John2g
Qui Tacet Consentit
Premium
join:2001-08-10
England
| reply to Rygel
said by Rygel :
Any idea on a release date and are there any new features coming with it? Thanks.
According to Google, it was anytime from last December to Q3 2004
»www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=U···&spell=1
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Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt. |
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dp
Go Steelers
Premium,MVM
join:2000-12-08
Greensburg, PA | reply to Daniel
I'm hoping it will, I guess time will tell. |
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keith2468
Premium,MVM
join:2001-02-03
Winnipeg, MB
| reply to Daniel
I answered not sure. Partly it is the wording of the question. But partly it is other things.
1. Do you believe XP SP2 will significantly effect how I view Microsoft as a security software company?
No. I see Symantec, McAfee, Kaspersky, Diamond CS, NS Clean as security software companies.
I see MS as more of a general software company. I don't see IBM as a security software company either.
2. Do I think XP SP2 will greatly reduce the vulnerabilities on the machines on which it is deployed?
Yes. I think it closes many vulnerabilities and makes others harder to use.
3. Do I think XP SP2 will greatly improve security on the machines on which it is deployed?
For a while. It depends on the hackers and crackers and how long XP SP2 lasts. And it also depends on whether anything is done to interfer with the development of cracking tools by law enforcement worldwide.
I don't think you can make something as complex as a full function operating system, have it be secure, and have it run on the x86 instruction set (that is, have it run on Intel Pentiums) or probably any other instruction set.
So I think that given enough time and enough freedom, there will be just as many widely known exploits for XP SP2 as there are now for XP.
4. There is another factor with the original question. What will other people think?
I think that no matter how good the service pack is, it will take more than one service pack to change people's opinions. On issues like this most people's opinions are some kind of weighted average of the opinions of the people around them, with more weight given to their friends who are more into the specialty. It takes time to change opinions on this kid of an issue.
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(Virus&Hijacking FAQ+Submit suspected malware+Security FAQ) |
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kinneyr2
join:2002-01-24
Carlsbad, CA
 ·AT&T U-Verse
 ·AT&T Yahoo
| reply to Daniel
Maybe you can post more polling questions like, "Do you believe Microsoft has a security problem with existing and past products?"
And maybe a perception question like, "Which operating system do you believe is most secure?" Offer some choices like MAC OSX, Linux, etc. And follow up that question with, "What operating system do you currently use?"
And the bottom line question like, "Will you buy or upgrade to Microsoft's next release?"
Even though this would be unscientific, I personally would like to know the answers to these questions from people here. |
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Randy Bell
Premium
join:2002-02-24
Santa Clara, CA
| reply to keith2468
said by keith2468 :
I don't think you can make something as complex as a full function operating system, have it be secure, and have it run on the x86 instruction set (that is, have it run on Intel Pentiums) or probably any other instruction set.
Also, put as many rich user-friendly features in it as Windows has. One can remove functionality and have a more secure O.S., but most people don't seem to want that. I think the service model used in XP, which allows people to tweak and turnoff services they don't want/need in order to enhance their security, is probably the best way to go. I also have felt for longtime that users have to take responsibility for their own security, and not rely like sheep on someone else {MS and the 3rd-Party Security Companies} to do everything for them. Security begins and ends with the individual user. There is no bulletproof software that can or will protect against user stupidity and carelessness, imho.  |
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John2g
Qui Tacet Consentit
Premium
join:2001-08-10
England
| said by Randy Bell :
There is no bulletproof software that can or will protect against user stupidity and carelessness, imho.
Ain't that a fact!
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Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt. |
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Pole883
Premium
join:2004-01-27
Schenectady, NY | reply to Daniel
Hope......is a four letter word.........
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Pole883 |
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novaflare
The Dragon Was Here
Premium
join:2002-01-24
Barberton, OH
| reply to kinneyr2
said by kinneyr2 :
Maybe you can post more polling questions like, "Do you believe Microsoft has a security problem with existing and past products?"
And maybe a perception question like, "Which operating system do you believe is most secure?" Offer some choices like MAC OSX, Linux, etc. And follow up that question with, "What operating system do you currently use?"
And the bottom line question like, "Will you buy or upgrade to Microsoft's next release?"
Even though this would be unscientific, I personally would like to know the answers to these questions from people here.
yes
none all oses have their flaws and probly just as many its based more on market share than on how many holes exist.
Windows xp pro
If you mean os well depends on if it offers new features i like. (xp pro 64 bit not withstanding its not a new os its a 64 bit version of a existing os)
So if a gamne or major program will only work on the new os then yess ill upgrade if it has fetures i want then yes again ill make the move. Simply put well windows is best thing going for games and 3d application that i can make use of. Im not in to first person shooters which linux has a decent number of that have been ported over or are known to work under wine. Im a mmorpg person and there are none for linux or apply that i would want to play.
Linux has its uses and i would love to get my old linux box back up and running.
Now as per original question personaly yes public in general no. There has been so much anti MW/windows hype both fact based and bs based that the public now beleives it all. It took a pirate to crack xp activation and post about what it sent in total to convince many people that xps activation doesnt send any uniquely identifiable info. In other words microsoft may know that this hash belongs to this xp key but they dont know that this hash and this key belongs to nova flare unless i register xp at the same time as i activated it.
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antiserious
The Future ain't what it used to be
Premium
join:2001-12-12
Scranton, PA
| reply to Daniel
... I think it will be A Better Band-Aid, and a big help, but I'll vote NO ... M$ has SO many products, with SO many potential exploits, that I don't believe it can possibly secure them all with patches, however thorough and (belatedly) well-intentioned ... until they build an O/S from the ground up with security as a first priority and eliminate (not curtail) omnipotent functions like ActiveX, this will be a greased-pig chase ... the Internet is a different place now, and without co-ordinated legislation and enforcement worldwide of abusers (spelled pipe-dream) we need as many portals locked as possible ... I'm thinking not of the users here who are well-informed and aware, but of millions of boxes worldwide that will never be secured enough by their owners - they have to be built that way from scratch, and it will take years ... they've built on insecure functions far too long for any patch to secure it, IMHO ...
... I'll gladly give M$ credit for an attempt to undo years of lip service to security, but the ledger doesn't balance ... it's similar to calling our government 'fiscally responsible' ...
... and Happy 4th ...
... f w i w ...
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... "It's always been my hope that God has a sense of humor" ... Andy Sipowicz ... |
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kinneyr2
join:2002-01-24
Carlsbad, CA
·AT&T U-Verse
·AT&T Yahoo
| reply to novaflare
said by novaflare :
said by kinneyr2 :
Maybe you can post more polling questions like, "Do you believe Microsoft has a security problem with existing and past products?"
And maybe a perception question like, "Which operating system do you believe is most secure?" Offer some choices like MAC OSX, Linux, etc. And follow up that question with, "What operating system do you currently use?"
And the bottom line question like, "Will you buy or upgrade to Microsoft's next release?"
Even though this would be unscientific, I personally would like to know the answers to these questions from people here.
Linux has its uses and i would love to get my old linux box back up and running.
I have used Linux as an engineering workstation OS. I was running computer simulations for the design of semiconductors and simulating manufacturing recipes for electrical characteristics.
I was impressed with the integrity of Linux for security and its power and versatility. On a corporate network using Raptor firewall, there wasn't any outside breeches of security. The only problem was email viruses but all those were for Windows so we didn't see that problem. I was using Netscape as a browser or other Mozilla browsers so I didn't see any security problem there.
Of course, Linux does not have the richness of applications that Windows has. I personally like Turbo Tax but they don't offer that under Linux.
Bottom line, I would be running Linux over Windows right now if Linux had all the applications that I use. I believe Linux is better at security (when running other than root) and more robust. |
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