Despite the strong security that Microsoft is touting in Windows 7, the new operating system is susceptible to most viruses currently circulating in the wild, according to researchers at Sophos.

In a Tuesday blog post, Chester Wisniewski, senior security engineer at Boston-based Sophos, cited recent tests in which Windows 7, configured with default User Account Control settings and without antivirus software running, was found to be vulnerable to 8 out of 10 unique virus samples from Sophos' research lab.

It's an odd observation given than Microsoft never suggested that customers shouldn't continue using antivirus with Windows 7. But Microsoft does portray UAC as a security enhancer, and Wisniewski has previously called out UAC's inability to protect PCs from modern malware. Sophos also hasn't been shy about pointing out other vulnerabilities in Windows in the run-up to the Windows 7 launch.

Full story: CRN