64% of MS Vulnerabilities Mitigated by Removing Admin Rights
Linked by Thom Holwerda on Wed 31st Mar 2010 14:41 UTC
Windows As geeks, we're well aware of the importance of running as a normal user instead of as root (UNIX/Linux/BSD) or administrator (Windows). However, while this should be common knowledge to anyone reading OSNews, it's often hard to illustrate just how important it is - until now, that is. A report by BeyondTrust looked at how many security bulletins issused by Microsoft are mitigated by simply... Not running as administrator.
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Changing the web browser would help.
by morglum666 on Wed 31st Mar 2010 16:42 UTC
morglum666
Member since:
2005-07-06

I work as a financial applications administrator and when our desktop guys have to come in and look at a desktop it seems the primary vector for problems is Internet Explorer (6 - don't cringe - legacy web apps).

Adobe is another example of a company that took something that worked - produced a common file format and the ability to secure documents and they have bloated it into utter oblivion and completely ignored security.

So having said all that I think for your average user giving them a more secure browser and perhaps using an adobe reader alternative might achieve the same results.

We can't go back in time and make tens of thousands of apps run on non-admin accounts, so until everyone moves to Windows 7 you have to look at other opportunities.

Morglum

Reply Score: 3

Kroc Member since:
2005-11-10

"So having said all that I think for your average user giving them a more secure browser and perhaps using an adobe reader alternative might achieve the same results."

I can absolutely guarantee this is the case.

Reply Parent Score: 1

Thom_Holwerda Member since:
2005-06-29

So having said all that I think for your average user giving them a more secure browser and perhaps using an adobe reader alternative might achieve the same results.


Since not running as admin negates 100% of the IE8 flaws in 2009, how about doing both?

Reply Parent Score: 2