Excerpted from Mossberg's Thursday's WSJ Personal Technology column, which concerns how to deal with Windows security problems. Well said.
--QS
... And the company that controls the Windows platform, Microsoft, has made this too easy to do by carelessly opening numerous security holes in the operating system and its Web browser. Even if you install the recent Service Pack 2 update to Windows XP, you will still be vulnerable.
As I have said before, I believe Microsoft and the computer makers should be taking care of all these problems with a unified, managed approach that would free users from having to learn about all the threats and constantly manage security. They should take responsibility for shielding users from hackers, spammers, viruses and spyware -- the malicious software that hijacks your browsing and searching, pushes ads into your face, and secretly logs your activities.
But until that happens, you will have to fend for yourself. So here's a quick, rudimentary guide to protecting yourself in the digital world.
Opting out: The single most effective way to avoid viruses and spyware is to simply chuck Windows altogether and buy an Apple Macintosh. Apple's operating system, Mac OS X, is harder for the criminals to infect, and the Mac's market share is so small that hackers, virus writers and spies get little thrill, financial gain or publicity from attacking the platform.
There has never been a successful virus written for Mac OS X, and there is almost no spyware that targets the Mac. Plus, the Mac is invulnerable to viruses and spyware written for Windows. Not only is it more secure, but the Mac operating system is more capable, more modern and more attractive than Windows XP, and just as stable.
Macs are as good as, and often better than, Windows PCs at doing the most common computing tasks: Web browsing, e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, photos, music and video. The Mac version of Microsoft Office can handle Windows Office files with ease, and it produces files that Office for Windows handles effortlessly. Apple's computers are also gorgeous.
But switching platforms is expensive, and scary to people. So if you're sticking with Windows, read on. ... |
