Firm: security problems down, Windows problems up
updated 04:40 pm EST, Fri January 19, 2007
Windows Problems on Rise
What Windows users may have gained in security over the past year may have been lost in stability, a study by the computer help firm RESCUECOM says. While requests for help with virus and spyware infections dropped substantially from 16.4 to 13.7 percent, problems with Windows itself largely filled the gap and became the dominant reasons for getting in touch with the company, jumping from an already high 19.5 percent to 22.3. No exact reason was given for the spike, though the company noted that hardware-related problems had also surged from 15.2 to 18.1 percent as more people shift towards fragile laptops.
The help desk also observed that the likelihood of security problems remained high for Windows desktop users: this is usually because the systems are more likely to be connected to the Internet, RESCUECOM writes. The trend suggests that while security problems have dropped overall as more systems patch to the latest Microsoft security updates, the Windows operating system itself remains a primary source for problems with most computers.
