Microsoft Funded by NSA, Helps Spy on Win Users?

OpperNerd writes "A French intelligence report has accused U.S. secret agents of working with computer giant Microsoft to develop software allowing Washington to spy on communications around the world. According to the report, 'It would seem that the creation of Microsoft was largely supported, not least financially, by the NSA, and that IBM was made to accept the (Microsoft) MS-DOS operating system by the same administration.'" I personally don't believe this is true, but it's an interesting enough rumor to post for discussion. (SFX: Black helicopters whirring overhead.)

Comments

That far fetched ?

[FrankW]

Yes, the theory sounds a bit like something from X-files, and the french are known to, well not exactly like the US,

BUT

When people were speculating about ECHOLON a few years back, many also said it was nothing but conspiracy theories (and the first time its existance was officially admitted, was due to a question in the european parliament).

Secondly, it is generally assumed (or known) that the CIA shifted considerable effort into spying out foreign companies, and passing secret business information on to american companies, when the Cold War faded. That even lead to several american diplomats being "asked to leave" Germany (and yes the French do the same, ask Siemens about the ICE/TGV competition...)

Hence I think it would be wrong to immediately dismiss any thought of cooperation between Microsoft and some US Goverment agency.

I admit I don't believe that IBM was forced to accept MS-DOS as part of some master plan by the NSA to spy on the world, but rather that once MS was becoming so succesful, some agency recognized the potential...

And even if there are no backdoors etc, getting detailed inside knowledge about the protocols, formats, api's etc directly from the source would be a great help to NSA, CIA, etc.

After all, spying really IS the business of those organizations, and thinking they are only interested in other spies and terrorists would be quite naive...

Just my $0.02

Frank

The bright side

[Kaufmann]

Okay. The bad news is, Microsoft software users are being spied on. But everybody fails to see the practical benefits of this. So here are the Top Five good things about Microsoft and the NSA teaming together:

* All the software will already know your personal habits and information, therefore freeing you from the hassle of having to perform configuration.

* In time, all NSA programming staff will develop chronic psychosis (sp?) from prolonged exposure to the Windows sources.

* They can investigate user habits to find out what kind of graphical user interface is best suited to desktop users. And if even without this information they were able to create such great things as MS Bob (tm) and the Office Assistant, I can't help but wonder what great stuff may come next!

* Windows Millenium will come with earmuffs, to keep the constant noise from the black helicopters from blowing up your inner ear.

And last but not least, the Best Thing about Microsoft and the NSA teaming together:

* If the Shadow Government computers that run Echelon are Windows boxes, then you have nothing to worry about - by the time they recover from the BSOD, you'll already have hung up the phone!

---

(Why only five, you ask? Well, I'm not _that_ creative. It's an open list ("open source", much like Al Gore's campaign site), so feel free to add to it.)

Blocked!

[Serf]

The page is blocked by the Chinese government.
(Yes, it actually is. I had to use a proxy in the States.)

Whacked-out theories, anyone?

Would not be the first time

[noeld]

We must also remember PROMIS. PROMIS was written by Inslaw and then used and modifiedby the govenment adding a secret 'trapdoor' access, modifying PROMIS and creating a bugged version which was sold to foreign government, intelligence, and police agencies, friend and foe, around the world.

You can read more about it on WIRED.

France has also complained about PROMIS.

Bill Hamilton of Inslaw Corporation who was going after the government for stealing PROMIS gave this document to each member of the House Judicary Committee.

and we must not forget that Crypto AG supplied encryption machines to over 120 countries. Officials from Iran, Iraq, and the Vatican, to name a few, relied on Crypto's tech for top secret dispatches and the NSA had a deal with Crypto, which gave them a backdoor that made those encrypted messages easy to decipher and they were not even a US company.

Also what about Lotus Notes' NSA backdoor that is in international versions of the software.

Noel

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