Next steps

Just to be clear: Not having admin or root access does limit the possibilities for malware writers. They can't take their pick of all the current low-hanging fruit, but there are still plenty of ways to hack a user's computer without privileged access, and that's the pity. For years and years, we've been saying that users need nonprivileged accounts to do most of their work. We say this as if it is the Holy Grail of computer security -- as if it will end all malware as we know it today. But ultimately, this one change won't amount to a hill of beans. Malware writers will learn what it takes to do all the things they need to do without requiring admin access. They have many malware programs they can study today, and certainly, they will develop many new methods in the future.

Stopping malware isn't as easy as not being logged in as a nonadmin.