Microsoft hits back over Windows security claims

Software firm reacts angrily to accusations.

Microsoft has returned fire at Google after a report yesterday claimed that the search giant is looking to move away from Windows operating systems because of security concerns.

Brandon LeBlanc, a Windows communications manager at Microsoft, said in a blog post that the accusations about poor Windows security are ironic at best.

He cobbled together a number of reports that suggest the contrary, including one from Mashable which claimed that Yale University has scaled back on moves to use Gmail, and another claiming that Macs are under attack from high risk malware.

LeBlanc said that the article in The Financial Times yesterday, which declared that Windows is "known for being more vulnerable to attacks by hackers and more susceptible to computer viruses than other operating systems", was wrong, insisting that "the facts don't support the assertion".

Google may be considering a move away from Microsoft, but other companies are more confident in its systems, according to LeBlanc.

"When it comes to security, even hackers admit we're doing a better job making our products more secure than anyone else," he wrote.

"And it's not just the hackers; third-party influentials and industry leaders like Cisco tell us regularly that our focus and investment continues to surpass others'.