With the release of WindowsXP, the Microsoft operating system has shown new levels of stability and performance, but analysts say that security is not up to par yet. Bill Gates, chairman of the Microsoft corporation has now set security as the top priority for the software maker’s products, a shift that analysts say can’t happen soon enough. The internal memo Gates sent to Microsoft employees and subsidiaries was leaked to the press yesterday.
Gates: Security is Top Priority
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
Follow me on Twitter @EugeniaLoli
WON’T I?
Mr. Gates states that we make phone calls, believe it is secure? Look at the news recently, Mr. Bill. The government wants to make it easier to tap our phone lines! I wonder what MS does with all their Passport information? Also, do you remember the rumor of the “back door” into MS encryption algorythms supposedly for Uncle Sam to use? Sorry, but you have to earn trust, and I think this is coming just a little too late!
You would think this would have been a priority first and foremost, especially with the new initiatives. Security is going to remain just a bunch of fixes and patches … ie, more of too little too late.
Brett
<big>Talk’s cheap.</big>
Hahaha! Now that’s a PR job – what’s the bet that Microsoft PR made sure it was leaked to all tech news sites simultaneously 😉
like Icarii i don’t beleive 1 second this was leaked. It’s all planned (not that only M$ do this).
By definition Windows will not be secure anytime soon. Like all unbalanced ecosystem, big parasite and disease emerge. The decision of M$ to go ahead with their .NET initiative really don’t help.
I think that soon, firewall will be no more working. Like antibiotic resistance, something will eventually beat the firewall concept. I don’t know how this will happen but i’m sure it will.
This is security for the computer integrity itself, what is even worst is the fact that M$ want to sell all our data. I don’t think they will take them without our conscent, they will take it by forcing us to give it to them.
If Microsoft were smart they would setup a contest for their next version of the IIs server and pay the first person to demonstrate a unique security weakness a million dollars. Since Microsoft has over $30 Billion in cash on hand they could effectively hire outsiders to help find security bugs. One thing people forget is that most patches out of microsoft aren’t out for their OS, but for IE, and IIs. Why can’t people complain about the right thing? As for MS web server there are several non-security reasons to use another server platform. With Internet Explorer one doesn’t even have to switch platforms to get better security. Unless one wants to goto windows update that there isn’t a reason one can’t use Opera or mozilla on win32. If Microsoft held a contest like I am proposing for IIs after every beta testing cycle before they released the product they might actually be quite secure. That would show that security is their top concern. It might be cost some money, but it would buy some people of mind when using a Microsoft server.
More talk from the big man himself. MS has always been eager to put the consumer first with the introduction of their new technologies:
Web Browser that allows advertisers to pop-up new windows without the user’s consent.
An e-mail client that launches application scripts without the user’s knowledge.
Active-X components on web pages that can do all sorts of nasty things, like the one that has an un-opnenable/closable IE window that launches new windows for advertisements continuously. The only way to stop it is CTRL-ALT-DEL and kill IE.
And just to tie it all together, a video format and MediaPlayer that automatically launches websites when you view the video.
Just unstoppable (if you want your bank’s website to continue to work). The next thing you’ll find out is they had the technology and means to stop SPAM but decided to make it easier for web-casino’s to collect e-mail addresses instead.
Praise to all the heroes who fight their operating system on a daily basis.
icarii said it already.
PR, PR, PR, PR, PR. It’s funny how things like this “leak” so coneniently when Bill decides his company is suffering too much adverse publicity on the security front, especially next to his biggest “free alternatives” competitors.
an operating system with window(s) of opprotunit(ies) to crack the system
this was not leaked. it was purposely planned to appear as a leak, and what a bad job they did. bad microsoft, just bad.
pahtz stated many reasons why i test mozilla/bezilla on a daily basis. the simple reason is that i want an alternative that is open source, reliable, and not controlled by a single body.
in closing, bad microsoft! go in your cage!
Does anyone actually think something will improve ??
It’s just PR… so the next Windows release, the lemmings will say its more secure since Bill made security top priority. Same S**t, different day…
…actually write that? i nearly fell asleep reading it. must have taken him HOURS to write that (if word didnt crash on him) and then to have it leaked… smells of PR (if it wasnt emailed out by badtans or whatever).
does anyone think its worrying that gates only considers security the priority AFTER .net? who has responsibility for retro-fitting .net to be secure?
knives out
Maybe if Bill G. were put in a maximum security facility for a few years, he would understand what “security” means!