Windows Vista is more susceptible to malware vulnerabilities than its eight-year-old predecessor Windows 2000, according to a recent independent study conducted by PC Tools.

The much-anticipated 8th version of Microsoft Internet Explorer has finally been released in Beta to the public.  Internet Explorer 8 comes with quite a few new and nifty features that all Vista and XP users should look forward to.

Previously we reported on a similar tool that would bypass Vista’s kernel protection to allow the installation of unsigned drivers that could possibly contain a rootkit.  Microsoft has now released Windows defender updates to remove and block the threat.

A test conducted by Virus Bulletin security certification body on anti-virus products using the 64-bit Microsoft Vista version finds that 30% of the popular anti-virus programs generate false positive results which could harm computer systems and files.

Those with Windows XP have the option to install Windows Defender; those that have Vista installed already have Windows Defender. The short history of Windows Defender goes back a few years when Microsoft decided to acquire Giant AntiSpyware. Beta 1 and Beta 2 of Windows Defender were just rehashes of Giant AntiSpyware.