Business & Technology | Microsoft report: Cybercrime losses more often result from human error | Seattle Times Newspaper

A timely security reality check; see the full article for context/details

Malware infects computers using the 2001 release of Windows XP at a rate of 35 machines per 1,000.

For fully updated machines with Windows XP Service Pack 3, the rate drops to 9 per 1,000. It drops further still with Windows Vista SP1, to 4 infected machines per 1,000.

"It looks to me as if they can make the point that the [Security Development Lifecycle, a practice stemming from Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing effort] is working because the vulnerabilities in their software on computers running Vista is a lot lower than on computers running XP," said Don Retallack of Kirkland-based independent analyst firm Directions on Microsoft.

Business & Technology | Microsoft report: Cybercrime losses more often result from human error | Seattle Times Newspaper