ESET Praises Windows 8 Security
Operating system features Early Launch Anti-Malware component.
ESET has poured praise onto Windows 8's security features, with Microsoft said to be taking a better approach with the upcoming operating system than its predecessors in regards to anti-malware protection.
A researcher for the anti-virus company, Aryeh Goretsky, mentioned the integration of ELAM (Early Launch Anti-Malware) into the OS. ELAM ensures the first software driver that loads into Windows 8 will be the driver of a user's anti-malware software.
Earlier Windows versions would initiate a random process when loading driver software, which could possibly lead to malware launching first on a user's system and then disabling a machine's security.
"While the effectiveness of ELAM is as yet unproven, the concept behind it is fundamentally sound and it should prove to be a major deterrence to boot-time malware," Goretsky said. "The technology, however, may need to be periodically updated to overcome existing limitations and provide additional functionality."
"It has no ability to remove malware. ELAM is strictly a detection technology at this point," he warned. The feature must run alongside additional security software such as Microsoft's Windows Defender, which is pre-installed on Windows 8.
In addition to ELAM, Windows 8 also contains UEFI (Unified Extensible Firmware Interface). The security component requires digitally signed firmware to be utilized during boot-up so it can prevent rootkits.
Windows 8 officially launches on October 26.

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I suppose Microsoft should not even try then, eh? Let's not bother doing anything to stop malware? Give me a break
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I suppose Microsoft should not even try then, eh? Let's not bother doing anything to stop malware? Give me a break
I just hope it supports other antivirus/antimalware solutions at launch like Avast.
This is a somewhat inaccurate statement. Rootkits are installed on the harddisk and load as part of or before the OS which is what makes them dangerous. Rootkits aren't firmware (and before UEFI the old BIOSes were so indiosyncratic few viruses were written for them). UEFI can allow only a signed driver's to run but the functionality isn't enabled by default on most setups and most systems don't run UEFI (although I'm sure this will start changing soon).
So... How can I disable it along with the disabled start bar? >_>
I see lots of "Walled Garden" talk yet you still have everything on the desktop you wanted. The metro apps are that way, but it sure beats having tons of junk installed and running constantly.
Out on the desktop side, you can do whatever the hell you want to do anyway.
Did you ever try Win8?
Here's a thought: Most users click on any link you send them via Facebook etc. There are vulnerabilities in lots of software, including browsers. Why disable the extra security? Why ding MS for making Windows 8 even more secure than the already-quite-decent Windows 7? Why complain about IE when recent versions are actually pretty secure and not too shabby overall, for a stock browser. Especially IE10 on Win8. For a lot of typical users, these are good improvements to have, even if they never see them.
It sounds like you want them to write an OS designed for the elite few, capable of securing/policing their own machines and networks, which is silly.
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Because hating Apple has become too mainstream.
If you don't like the replacement of the start menu, then feel free to not upgrade.
Those that have been coming here for 10+ years will all learn to use windows 8, just like we learned Windows 7, vista, xp, 98 (thank god we skipped millenium) etc... etc...
IT is about adapting to change to meet or exceed your customers (the rest of your corporations) demands. When your VP walks up to you and sais "hey I saw so and so with a windows surface tablet, can I get one instead of an ipad?" Unless its Tim Cook asking, you better say yes. If you start saying "no" before a product has even been launched, you sign your own termination slip.
Food for thought.
Avast? Really? What a bloated piece of crap. I sure hope you don't rely on that nasty scareware riddled PoS.
They've been trying for 20 years. They had an anti-virus scanner in MS-DOS 6 (1992). As a former Windows sysadmin I learned to ignore their marketing BS long ago and that of "independent" third parties and reporters. Now that Ballmer wants to be like Apple I'm not expecting an improvement in accuracy: http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Stevew-Ballmer-Windows-8-Surface-Apple-Windows-Phone-8,18302.html
Although I agree with this in the enterprise space I would argue that they have made huge strides in the home user space. Remember back when XP came with no antivirus and the firewall was turned off by default? Most of the OEM's that included security software had it expire after 60 days with no further updates. Win8 now comes with the firewall turned on and a halfway decent antivirus scanner.
What would you recommend?
Yeah, ask Apple how that worked for them...PCs (mobos) that didnt even have an EFI bios had bootable OSX installations (that supposedly would only install on an Apple PC with an EFI chip) with very little difficulty---and the OSx86 community is far smaller than the community cracking win 8 activation.
Kaspersky and ESET were always my favs.
What the hell are you on about?
Total install is what - 100MB?
And it is bloated - Bloated with features.