Microsoft to Focus on Security

Anonymous Minion writes: "The Associated Press is reporting that Bill Gates announced to employees Wednesday a major strategy shift across all its products to emphasize security and privacy over new capabilities. In e-mail to employees, Gates referred to the new philosophy as "Trustworthy Computing" and called it the "highest priority". Gates said the new emphasis was "more important than any other part of our work."" People criticized Microsoft for treating security breaches as a public relations problem, so Bill Gates sent this email out to the Associated Press to prove them wrong. (rimshot!) Meanwhile, Richard Smith notes that the Globally Unique Identifier in every installation of Windows Media Player allows websites to universally track users, and Microsoft does not consider it a security problem.

Comments

Funny, I Don't Feel More Secure...

[The Spie]

Why does Microsoft saying they're going to focus on security remind me of the US government talking about campaign finance reform?

so all those pr0n sites...

[kootch]

so now all of the pr0n sites will know exactly what TYPE of pr0n to feature on the front page whenever I *happen* to stop by...

well, atleast maybe I'll get more targeted advertising... ya know, nothing against transvestites, but the pr0n of them in an advertisement just does NOT make me want to subscribe!

Now windows is going to suck even more to use

[Publicus]

Hmmm, I think I'll go read slashdot today...

It looks like you're trying to reach the internet, this is a potential security risk. Find out more about how your internet experience is made more secure with Microsoft by clicking "Find out more." If you wish to continue, click "Ok."

Arrgh, *click ok* (stupid microsoft)

Your computer has begun downloading information, this is a potential security risk. Find out more about how your internet experience is made more secure with Microsoft by clicking "Find out more." If you wish to continue, click "Ok."

And so on!

Is this like internet day?

[vondo]

Is this in the same vein as the day Bill Gates ordered everyone at MS to stop what they were working on and concentrate on how the Internet would affect their products?

Of course, by that I mean Microsoft finally understanding something several years after the rest of the world "gets it?"

Re:timing?

[daniel_isaacs]

Yes, it's all about timing. The rest of the email outlined thier other goals:

1. To workout more
2. To eat better
3. To be nicer to the people we love
4. To not drink so much

The email closed with a lamentation about how these beginning of the year resolutions never seem to work, followed by a humorous panel from the comic strip "Cathy".

Re:You should be afraid...

[1010011010]

I suppose that Microsoft will have to re-think things like ".exe" at the end of a filename meaning "run me" to the OS.

Until then, I for one will keep laughing.

Microsoft's Acceptable User Parameters

[i_am_nitrogen]

"Users should be in control of how their data is used" -- Bill Gates

Translation: [serious] Users should be made to think that our ideas of how their data should be used are also their ideas.

-or-

[humorous] Microsoft should be in control of how its users are used.

Seriously, though, all those who fit Microsoft's definition of user already think they are in control of their data. They believe that Microsoft provides them freedom to do what they want. Look at those Windows XP flying commercials. People actually believe that stuff. Just a thought.

Re:Standard Corporate Security Policy

[Captn Pepe]

This is beyond "trying to have a baby in one month". This is more like putting 5900 women in a room and trying to get a baby in one hour.

And as everyone knows, if you put 5900 randomly chosen (American, normally distributed) women in a room, you have to wait roughly 18 days for one of them to have a kid. You actually need 2.5 million to get a kid in an hour, and not even MS employs that many programmers. Though to hear some tell, the Open Source Movement might. Of course, they're predominantly male geeks, so you'd probably have to wait several years before 5900 open source programmers produced offspring, and even then it might just be a replicant.

Re:Do we Trust Bill on this?

[ryanr]

Of course. I hear they're going to make their software "unbreakabale."

Re:Standard Corporate Security Policy

[pHDNgell]

This is more like putting 5900 women in a room and trying to get a baby in one hour.

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I'm buying this video when it comes out.

Re:That GUID on WMP? Yeah . . .

[Tony-A]

Stand in a parking lot with a clipboard and write down the license plate numbers of everybody that enters. ;-)

MS websites and browser security ...

[joe_citizen]

So when will I be able to to visit any of the Microsoft websites with IE browser security set to High?