Security Of Windows/Office XP Activation Code?

merodach asks: "In pondering the next versions of Windows and Office (XP), the wonderful save-us-from-ourselves product activation, and MS's repeated public blunders with security I began to wonder about the security around the activation code, itself. Specifically, I was wondering how it would impact my job as an IT Consultant with regards to Melissa-type viruses and trojans which might: surreptitiously use the transmission code to send sensitive info to competitors/enemies of my customer; and (assuming that the software checks this periodically) change the activation info and damage/destroy the ability to repair that info (in short order rendering an entire network useless). As I don't have access to the beta versions or the code I was wondering if anybody in the Slashdot community would be able to list or explain what, if any, precautions are being taken on this." As it happens, TechRepublic has an article about this very subject. Thanks to Deecyl for the link.

Comments

Nothing to worry about!

[djrogers]

According to the article, "a Microsoft spokesman assured [the author]" that mundane upgrades wouldn't cause a problem. Whew! We can all rest easy, because we know a Microsoft spokesman would never mislead a member of the press....

Re:Activation code won't change anything

[papskier]

I actually tried to post this as an AskSlashdot a couple weeks ago, but apparently I'm not important enough to actually have a front page story, but in any case, here's my $.02:

A simple fact remains for most home users: They aren't going to pay $500 so that lil' Johnny can make prettier school reports. What happens currently is that they borrow the copy from work, bring it home, and they have it for free. Problem solved. Now, they aren't going to be able to do that because it's going to be easier for M$ to track the software, and thus companies will be less willing to look the other way when employees borrow a copy. What's left for Joe-Six-Pack to do? Well, hopefully with the increasing demand for something reasonably priced for him to use, the OSS community will port some of free word processing programs over to winblowz. Give them a couple weeks using it, watch lil' Johnny create an 'A' report with it, and next thing you know, Joe-Six-Pack is at the water cooler telling his buddies how "this OSS shit ain't all that bad.. and it's FREE!" That's how you get into the home market people. M$ is going to lead the average user to us by disgusting them and making it harder and harder for them to use the crap they push.

Here's to a properous future!

$man microsoft