Yankee Group Urges Restraint on Vista Upgrades

A new report from Yankee Group indicates that, despite Microsoft's earnest efforts to make Windows Vista a hassle-free system that offers airtight security, the software maker still has some work to do before Vista is ready for prime time.

Compared to previous versions of Windows, Vista is designed to provide much better security through reduced access privileges, integrated antispyware capabilities, a better two-way firewall, an antiphishing filter, and a protection layer for the Windows registry.

Andrew Jaquith, author of the Yankee Group report, said that although the new OS indeed will provide a significant improvement in security over earlier versions of Windows, some of the software's new security features will "annoy users."

Tightening Security

Chief among Vista's new security features is the User Account Control (UAC) system, which limits user access privileges. Earlier versions of Windows have, by default, given users administrator-level access. Vista, by default, will operate in limited-access mode.

Jaquith expects that this feature will prove to be the most problematic for users. "Even simple task such as opening Control Panel applets required administrator credentials or consent," Jaquith explained.

"Microsoft has privately acknowledged the company is still 'fine-tuning' the balance of usability issues with the UAC," he said. "That's worrying this late in the development cycle."

Security First

But Jaquith did say that Vista will make it "easier for users to protect themselves from everyday security threats" and that "malware will have greater difficulty infecting a system via the usual vectors such as Internet Explorer."

Jaquith recommends that businesses and consumers hold off on upgrading to Vista until the middle of 2008. Waiting to buy Vista until a year or so after it is released, he said, will give third-party software packages and systems-management tools time to mature.

"Vista's security enhancements will immediately reduce security issues for customers -- but only for those intrepid few willing to upgrade PCs, migrate users, and endure some initial pains," Jaquith concluded.

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