After Windows NT was released, it took virus writers five years to learn how to infect it. Windows NT 3.1 and the Win32 API were released in late 1993, but it wasn't until August 1998 that W32.Cabanas became the first NT virus by capturing coveted kernel mode access. .NET and some of Microsoft's other initiatives have not been as lucky. The purpose of this article is to discuss antivirus (AV) concerns with .NET and Microsoft Windows XP.
.NET was officially announced by Microsoft in July 2000 at a Microsoft Professional Development Conference. Since then, what .NET has meant and the products involved have changed (and been renamed). .NET is an idea and a programming platform. The basic concept is an evolving extension of Microsoft's Object Linking Embedding (OLE) introduced back in the early days of Windows 3.0. OLE allows you to copy objects and data created in one application, like a spreadsheet graph, to other applications. OLE evolved into ActiveX objects, which are executables you can download and run within an Internet browser.
NET takes it two steps further by allowing the entire application to be hosted elsewhere (potentially allowing your environment to follow you, no matter where you go) and allowing different distributed software parts to make up one application. For example, your Windows desktop settings, your applications, and your data may be available to you where ever you compute. Running by an Internet kiosk in an airport? Just login and access your desktop and your data. Different applications will co-exist together, over the web, to bring you that integrated environment. One vendor will handle the login and authentication, another will store your data, and each of your applications will be made up of specifically customized components. I'll take two thesauruses, a math equation editor, and a French translation dictionary please. Hold the autocorrect.
News source: securityfocus.com
