Clearly, the user doesn't benefit from these default settings.

But the fact that there was a security breach is troubling, especially if there are no technical fixes available to protect the system.

It's one thing to say you can't have executable code and another to actually prevent that from happening.

It's not a question of someone crying wolf. It's just that there are so many wolves, there is a lot of crying going on. It's just one more thing in a never-ending stream of security problems for Windows.

This type of problem is not unique to Microsoft, but they seem to keep making the same mistakes. The vulnerability is noteworthy because hackers could create an automated exploit that would impact the vast number of Windows users.

And the military has farmed out a lot of work on their systems to third-party vendors who can meet the specifications but may not give security as much attention as it requires, ... Security for any public-facing applications is critical.

The problem with most security products is that they require people to change their behavior, so vendors need to make it as simple as possible for all users to take the necessary steps to protect themselves.

If the worm can embed itself in a user's program, it becomes a widespread problem.

The main value of threat response services is the global intelligence network that feeds it. A robust global network with sophisticated data analysis differentiates one service from the next. It is a key determining factor when choosing a security provider.