12 minutes to infection


ZDNet Australia reports that there is a 50 percent chance an unprotected Windows PC running XP will be compromised within 12 minutes of going online. Or, at least, that's the way security vendor Sophos spins one of their own recent studies.

Authors of malware such as spam, viruses, phishing scams and spyware increased both the volume and sophistication of their assaults, releasing almost 8,000 new viruses in the first half of 2005 ... The new-virus figure is up 59 percent on the same period last year.

Previously, it was reckoned that a fresh out-of-the-box PC would become infected in some way within 30 minutes of being connected to a network. Thus it would appear that the creators of malware are handily winning the war by reducing the time required to infect/takeover a new PC by 50 percent in less than a year--that's what I call progress!

Also, this news fits well with earlier reports stating that PCs take more sick days than the people who use them.

Editor's note: And, of course, not a single of one of these threats--real or imagined--directly affects the fairer platform. Long live the Mac...

What's your take?