1,000 Vulnerabilities Surpass Apple and Google
According to research from Beyond Trust, the total number of vulnerabilities relating to Microsoft products had risen by 48% comparted to 2019. To break the numbers down, I looked to my go-to for vulnerability statistics, Stack Watch.
This is where things get interesting for Microsoft watchers, with the company taking top place, by vendor, with 1,188 published security vulnerabilities in 2020 compared to Google, in second place, on 950. Apple, for the record, came in at number eight with 381 vulnerabilities.
At the time of writing, the 2021 statistics are similar in terms of positioning: Microsoft at number one with 510 vulnerabilities, Google just behind on 507 and Apple down in ninth with 147.
How does Windows 10 compare to Android or iOS in security vulnerability terms?
What if we were to look at product rather than vendor? Would Microsoft fare any better? Erm, no is the answer.
In 2020, Microsoft products took seven of the top ten places by product vulnerability. Windows 10 was top of the tree with 802 vulnerabilities, followed by Windows Server 2016 on 790 and Windows Server 2019 with 743.
The remaining Microsoft top ten products were Windows Server 2012 in at six, Windows 8.1 at seven, Windows RT 8.1 at eight and Windows 7 at ten.
Google, meanwhile, slotted in at number four thanks to 696 Android vulnerabilities. Apple, however, didn’t appear until number 14 with 233 iOS vulnerabilities.
So far, the 2021 published security vulnerabilities table looks better for Microsoft with Windows 10 dropping to number three on 256, behind Fedora and Debian Linux.
Microsoft still manages to claim six of the top ten spots, though. Google has also dropped down the table to number six with 219 Android vulnerabilities, but Chrome is new in at seven on 172. How is Apple doing so far this year? iOS has dropped to 15 with 111 vulnerabilities, but macOS is in at 14 with 112.
The good news for Microsoft is that it looks like Windows 10 is on track to have fewer published security vulnerabilities than last year. The bad news is that the average Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures…