Security warnings hit user confidence

Microsoft has issued the 65th security warning for its software this year.

The vendor released a bug fix last week to protect users of Windows 2000, Me, 98, 98 SE, and NT 4 from possible malicious attacks.

Experts say that frequent security flaws in all software vendor's products are harming confidence and levels of trust among potential ecommerce users.

'This is something that has got to be acknowledged as an issue,' said Beatrice Rogers, ebusiness programme manager at industry body Intellect. 'There's no way to get away from it: software does have flaws.'

Rogers says more emphasis should be placed on security when software is being developed, and it should be tested extensively.

Phil Battison, European managing director at online payment service WorldPay says issuing security alerts makes unreasonable assumptions of users.

'Having spent the weekend downloading the patches for XP and Internet Explorer, I know exactly what this is all about,' he said.

'There is a reliance on the individual to be savvy as to what's going on and to be proactive. And that will erode consumer confidence,' he said.

Stuart Okin, Microsoft UK's chief security officer, says the latest problems are 'critical,' and he agrees that software flaws, regardless of the vendor, do nothing to promote trust and confidence.

'This is why it's absolutely incumbent we get these downloads and changes to be automatic,' he said.

'The internet was never built on secure protocols - it was never designed to be secure.'

Graham Titterington, senior analyst at Ovum, says 65 alerts is more than most other vendors would issue in a year, but Windows is by far and away the most popular software in use.

'Sixty-five is more than other software, but that doesn't mean it's a criticism,' he said. 'Windows is a more complex piece of software and the more it is used, the more it will come to light.'