Early reports on XP Service Pack 2 aren’t encouraging.

Microsoft’s list of programs that “experience a loss of functionality” with SP2 includes several popular antivirus and antispam products for personal computers. The Seattle gang created a special site for the intrepid.

As Paul Corkery notes in The Triangle,”Windows and MS in general will continue to be the target of hackers and virus writers by virtue of its incredible market share. While extra features are a plus, I can say with relative certainly that it is only a matter of time before more holes are found and exploited.”

John Leyden of The Register: “Little wonder then that companies like IBM are holding off from deploying SP2 despite the considerable security improvements it offers. Consumers might well be inclined to follow suit. Those who push ahead with XP SP2 are advised to buckle in for what promises to be a bumpy ride.”

So what should a security-oriented admin take from all this? Whether you forge ahead with this update, or wait for its better, don’t put all your security eggs in one basket.