What is really important is for them to stop making it easy for every new virus to spread by hiding file extensions by default! The FIRT THING every intelligent person I know does, when building a new PC, is to go in to settings and turn on the ability to see file extensions. Those who remember the Anna Kournikova virus know how long this has been an issue, and MS still refuses to fix it.
Marketing and Development: "Should we fix these security flaws, or add more spyware to the OS? Spyware of course, nobody cares about our stupid customers!"
Technical it's not a security flaw. What you said implies that the spyware virus is using a bug to do it's thing but it's not so there is nothing to "fix".
What you really mean is they should change the default so that less tech savvy users who click anything put in front of them might possibly see the extension and know the difference between something that looks like an image/video file versus one that is an executable.
Semantics, and really two separate points. First, MS refuses to fix security flaws, we all know this. How many times have others had to release information to force their hand? They absolutely choose to put our data at risk (to make it "easier" for end users) rather than make things more secure.
As to whether the "hide the extension" issue is a security flaw or not, according to at least one definition, a vulnerability (or flaw) is "a weakness which allows an attacker to reduce a system's information assurance". I think this fits that definition. Even Microsoft's own definition makes this a security flaw, although they hide behind "does the system work as intended", which is of course their biggest issue. They design and build flaws into the OS, choosing profit over security in every case. IMO the only time MS is interested in fixing security is when they can show an ROI, not to say that is different than other companies, but certainly more prominent with them.
Granted these are my opinions, but anyone who keeps up on the industry sees examples of this every day.
Sorry but that rant comes across as quite silly. MS now respond quicker than they ever have done before with Windows 10.
If MS are so useless at security and refuse to fix anything how do you explain how they issued a fix for **Windows XP** after the recent encryption malware attacks given that Windows XP has been out of **extended** support for 3 years! Further to that Windows 10 was immune to it in the first place.
Could just be you are one of the old school people that like to use "M$" and refuse to acknowledge how things have changed.
Ah, the argument of little brained people everywhere, when you can't dispute facts, start with personal attacks.
I did dispute the facts - with my example of out of extended support fix for Windows XP and that Windows 10 was immune in the first place.
Thus debunking your rant that MS are rubbish at security and never fix anything even when they know about it.
Saying your post was a "rant" and "quite silly" and question whether you are just one of the old school people that like to bash MS regardless is hardly a personal attack as it all responds directly to what you posted.