A new report has pegged Windows 7 at between four and five times less vulnerable to malware infections than the venerable Windows XP operating system.  This finding is courtesy of Microsoft's latest Security Intelligence Report, a detailed 89-page document that, among others, delves into the topic of vulnerability disclosures, exploits, malwares and infection rates of its flagship operating system.

Drawing from data obtained in the second half of 2010, Microsoft found that the 64-bit version of Windows 7 has the lowest reported infections per 1,000 computers of just 2.5, with Windows XP SP3 coming in at 15.9 and 19.3 for XP SP2.  Even the unpopular Windows Vista fared better, with an infection rate of 5.3 and 6.6 for Vista SP2 and SP1 respectively.

What is interesting is how the 64-bit versions of an operating system yielded lower infection numbers than their 32-bit counterparts.  Microsoft notes that it could be due to the appeal of 64-bit Windows to more tech-savvy users, though this argument doesn't appear to consider that newer machines with 4GB or more of system RAM usually come preinstalled with 64-bit Windows.

Another possibility would be the presence of Kernel Patch Protection in 64-bit editions of Windows.  First introduced with the 64-bit edition of Windows XP back in 2005, the feature was designed to prevent unauthorized modifications of the kernel. 

Of course, detractors will point out that Microsoft does have a vested interest in convincing users to upgrade to Windows 7; it is hard, though, to imagine why Windows XP would be a better option from a stability and security point of view.  For now, you can access the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report website, or download the report directly from this link (pdf).

For more on this story:
- check out this article at ZDNet
- check out this article at CNET News 

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