Only time will tell whether Windows 7 will be capable of providing end users with more security compared with its precursor. Fact is that, out of the barrage of criticism that hit Vista almost from the get-go, complaints largely avoided the security offered by the operating system designed to succeed Windows XP. Statistics provided by Microsoft illustrate a simple reality when it comes down to Windows clients, Vista is simply more secure when put side by side with XP. And volume seven of the Microsoft Security Intelligence Report (SIRv7) provides even more proof of Vista’s superiority over XP in terms of the protection offered to end users.

“Consistent with previous periods, the infection rate for Windows Vista is significantly lower than that of its predecessor, Windows XP, in all configurations. Specifically: Comparing the latest service packs for each version, the infection rate of Windows Vista SP1 is 61.9 percent less than that of Windows XP SP3. Comparing the RTM versions of these operating systems, the infection rate of the RTM version of Windows Vista is 85.3 percent less than that of the RTM version of Windows XP,” Microsoft revealed.

The evolutionary Windows 7 has quite a legacy in terms of security, considering that it has Windows Vista at its foundation. Not only is Windows 7 a product of the Security Development Cycle, just as Vista, but it features the same span of security mitigations as its predecessor, the difference being in the level of refinement and optimizations that the latest Windows client brings to the table.

SIRv7 contain no data of Vista SP2, because it is focused on the period between January and June 2009. Windows Vista SP2 was made generally available in mid-2009, and, as such, it isn’t included in the comparison. Microsoft also noted that both the 64-bit (x64) flavors of XP and Vista had a lower infection rate compared with their counterparts.

“Infection rates as measured by the MSRT are greatly influenced by the selection of new families detected by the monthly releases of the tool, so upward or downward trends between periods can be misleading. However, the ratios between Windows XP and Windows Vista in different configurations demonstrate clearly that Windows Vista is significantly less susceptible to infection than Windows XP and has remained so even as it has been adopted by larger segments of the computer-using population,” Microsoft noted.

Some of you might still remember that, when Vista was launched in January 2007, Microsoft was trumpeting a higher level of security over XP. Almost three years later, it is clear that the Redmond company delivered on its promise. Now it falls to Windows 7 to take the legacy forward.