Russian security company Kaspersky has gone against Microsoft which has applauded Windows Vista as the most secure Windows platform, and claimed that Vista will prove to be inferior to Windows XP in terms of protection. It is not the first time that Kaspersky has taken a swing at Vista, nor is the subject of criticism an item of novelty.

In fact, Natalia Kaspersky, Kaspersky's Chief Executive Officer has yet again gunned for the User Account Control integrated into Windows Vista. She opined that UAC will prove to be annoying enough to force Vista users to switch it off. In the context of an inactive users privilege management system, Kaspersky approximated that Vista will be less secure than XP. "There's a question mark if Vista security has improved, or has really dropped down," Kaspersky commented on Thursday during the CeBIT exhibition in Hanover.

The User Account Control in Windows Vista has been one of the prevalent targets for attacks when it came to criticizing features of the operating system. Even more so as Microsoft revealed that the UAC is not intended as a security feature but as an educational device designed to get both users and developers to become accustomed with standard privileges.

Microsoft however disputed Kaspersky's claims over Windows Vista. "We have a thriving community of partners, and Kaspersky is one of our best partners. I find their statements a little strange because they have one of the best insights into Microsoft security products," commented Arno Edelmann, Microsoft business security product manager.

Kaspersky additionally pointed the finger at PatchGuard, the Kernel Patch Protection in Windows Vista, describing it as a handicap to legitimate security developers which have been locked out of the operating system's core. "Cybercriminals seem not to care about Vista licensing," explained Eugene Kaspersky. "They don't need to follow regulations or be certified by Microsoft -- antivirus vendors do."