Ballmer Touts Focus on Security

kevinvee writes "Microsoft's Steve Ballmer announced a renewed focus on security at the Worldwide Partner Conference yesterday. He recognizes the fatal user flaw of not applying patches and introduced an educational plan to help correct this. Also included in his statement was a response about computer researchers who publish flaws in Microsoft products, 'I wish those people just would be quiet.' The end of the article gives unbiased coverage of some people's opinions about the latest announcement."

Comments

we'll focus on security .. this time we mean it!

[Anonymous Coward]

He recognizes the fatal user flaw of not applying patches and introduced an educational plan to help correct this. Also included in his statement was a response about computer researchers who publish flaws in Microsoft products, 'I wish those people just would be quiet.' The end of the article gives unbiased coverage of some people's opinions about the latest announcement."

Yeah, and we wish that this gigantic wealthy company would just FIX THEIR SOFTWARE. But it ain't gonna happen.

I still can't figure out why a company with Microsoft's resources has such mediocre security. They should be blowing Linux and BSD and Mac out of the water with tight default firewalls, statistical intrusion detection, distributed monitoring, sandboxed executables, no executable mail attachments, modular software, and anything else short of palladium. Yet they don't. Why? Because they know if legislation is passed, they will be able to afford it and nobody else will? Because they know they have such a huge lock-in, managers will grumble but renew licenses anyway? What's the deal MS?

It bugs the hell out of me that they have the audacity to lock us into their products (which work okay most of the time, I'll give you that) yet can't give us the common courtesy to solve these problems. I really don't give a shit if Office 2003 is based on XML or EBCDIC, I just need the computer to be "Secretary-Proof" for at least a week or two after it's turned on. Monthly security updates? Good grief!! How about getting it right the first time!

Microsoft needs to snap into action ASAP. They need to fix the bugs, do whatever it takes, cut performance by 3/4 and run everything in a virtual machine, I don't care. They need to send out CD's to every single customer who ever made the mistake of buying their product, which looks more like a beta version than a finished program.

Or.. or.. well, okay you got me. We can't afford to switch from Windows. But it seems we can't afford to stay with it either!

Its not the computer researchers fault

[samsmithnz]

Its not that the computer researchers who publish the flaws thats a problem, its the fact that the only way they can get Microsofts attention is to publish them!!! How many stories have we read about a 'researcher' finding an issue, and then spending 2 months trying to contact MS, before giving up and posting it in places like this!

In other news ...

[Kombat]

Inside sources at Microsoft have revealed that as part of their effort to focus more on security, the next release of Windows, "Longhorn," will feature a handy "My Viruses" folder, to accompany the popular and mature "My Documents," "My Pictures," and "My Music" folders. Also, the OfficeXP assistant, Clippy, has been enhanced. Users of the next-generation leading desktop OS can look forward to Clippy popping his helpful head up from the corner and exclaiming,

"It looks like you're writing a virus. Would you like to:

• Initiate a DDoS attack?
  
• Publish a Trojan horse?
  
• Install a backdoor?"
  

Re:we'll focus on security .. this time we mean it

[00420]

We can't afford to switch from Windows

I know. If only Linux weren't so damn expensive.