Out of the box, Win 7 less secure than Vista

[whoosh]

Out of the box, Win 7 less secure than Vista | Hardware 2.0 | ZDNet.com

According to a well respected security firm, Microsoft’s flagship Windows 7 operating system is less secure in its default configuration that Vista.
Trend Micros CEO Raimund Genes believes that Microsoft has put usability ahead of security:

“I’m not saying Windows 7 is insecure, but out of the box Vista is better.â€Â￾
“I was disappointed when I first used a Windows 7 machine that there was no warning that I had no anti-virus, unlike Vista. There are no file extension hidden warnings either. Even when you do install anti-virus, warnings that it has not been updated are almost invisible.â€Â￾
“Windows 7 may be an improvement in terms of usability but in terms of security it’s a mistake, though one that isn’t that surprising. When Microsoft’s developers choose between usability and security, they will always choose usability.â€Â￾
​

Interestingly, Genes believes that the XP Mode feature present in some editions of Windows 7 actually improves security because it makes available a sandboxed OS. Other security firms (in particular Sophos) have criticized XP Mode, labeling it a security risk because it needs to be patched separately.
So, for a more secure Windows 7, Trend Micro recommends upping your UAC setting higher.