PatchGuard and Windows security

Here's a metaphor for the future of Windows security: Microsoft and the industry are two acrobats on a tightrope with no net. The trick is to meet in the middle, shake hands and maneuver around each other.

PatchGuard, a feature that causes 64-bit Windows versions of Vista to blue-screen if the kernel code is modified unexpectedly, is the first of possibly many flashpoints as Microsoft adds new security features to its product line. Also called kernel patch protection, PatchGuard may stop some attack programs from infecting a system by embedding themselves in the kernel. However, PatchGuard...