Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 5th Mar 2009 13:27 UTC
For Windows 7, Microsoft has made some changes to User Account Control to counter the criticism that UAC was too intrusive. It didn't take long before several holes were poked in Windows 7's default UAC settings, and now one is left to wonder: is it wise to sacrifice security for (perceived?) usability? Ars has an editorial that deals with this question.
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Member since:
2007-08-20
The `uber-modality' is by design, and it has a very important reason. Only the true UAC can create such a window, no other app can grey out the screen, etc. This means that malicious apps cannot create a replica UAC window in an attempt to fool the user, like phishing. If you ever get a UAC prompt that's not `uber-modal' then you know it's a fake.
This is the same reason some systems require you to press ctrl+alt+delete to open a login window; no regular app can capture ctrl+alt+delete because it is handled specially by the hardware and keyboard drivers. So when a login window appears as a result of you pressing ctrl+alt+del, you know it must be genuine.