Anti-spyware and desktop firewall vendors face an uncertain future
Vista spells doom for smaller security firms
/v3-uk/news/1941758/vista-spells-doom-security-firms
10 May 2006, Iain Thomson , V3
The range of security software in Microsoft's forthcoming Windows Vista operating system could cause some security firms to go to the wall, according to a new report from Yankee Group.
First for the chop will be anti-spyware and desktop firewall vendors, since both functions are now built into Vista.
But although Vista will have little or no effect on the corporate antivirus sector, Yankee Group expects that the market shares of existing competitors will decrease slightly following the introduction of Microsoft's own antivirus offerings.
"Windows Vista will bring spectacular improvements to the overall level of security for users, but only if Microsoft succeeds in making customers and ISVs comfortable with the new security system," said Andrew Jaquith, security solutions and services programme manager at Yankee Group.
"However, Windows security issues will continue to be a permanent fact of life for Microsoft, which means that third parties will always have a rich and robust aftermarket available to serve."
The analyst firm's report does, however, have bad news for Microsoft. It estimates that take up of the new operating system will be slower than Microsoft's estimate of 400 million desktops in 24 months.
Yankee Group also expects that many customers will defer major upgrades because of the expense of upgrading end-user desktops, and because Microsoft will market security as a "feature" for which users must pay.
© Incisive Media Investments Limited 2010, Published by Incisive Financial Publishing Limited, Haymarket House, 28-29 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4RX, are companies registered in England and Wales with company registration numbers 04252091 & 04252093
Do you agree?
Not really a threat
Lets face it, Microsofts security, including their firewall, is questionable. It will be a while before 4rd party vendors will have nothing to bring to the party. Historically, XP's firewall is more like a screen door. Stops little things but anyone with half a brain knows how to get around it. (Push hard and it'll rip). You still need a good wooden or steel door behind the fly trap...
Posted by Crispin Proctor, 10 May 2006
Shall I frame the title and date of your article??
It will be a total laugh to pull out this article one year after Vista has been released -whenever that will be.
I would readily concur that Vista is a big step forward security-wise; but any system with as much flexibility as a Windows system has, will have openings here and there. The legacy code base Microsoft has to support will offer too many openings, unless they run older apps and code sections in an emulator, whose slow speed would be a turnoff for many.
Software that is uniform across many users is a target, because of the "name in lights" syndrome with hackers. Those using protection measures which are not the most popular will always ride out the storm. The dumbest thing Microsoft did was to standardize its countermeasures (like AntiVirus); if they had licensed a variety of security vendors wares, and varied them covertly from platform to platform, they would have been in far better shape. But their arrogance (like their insistence at bundling insecure software) will always get the better of them. They have had more than enough time to "get it", and they still don't. Recently a security fix was rolled back because it was considered to be a "drag" by users; how can such pandering make for a secure OS??
Posted by Code Guy, 10 May 2006