BBC Bill Gates Interview Part 2: Security

securitas writes "In the second of two parts, the BBC's Stephen Cole of the technology show Click Online interviews Bill Gates about Windows, viruses, security, spam, 'trustworthy computing', Longhorn and being anti-competitive. Sample quote: 'Certainly you can never underestimate the level of malicious people out there who are going to try to take advantage of whatever things there are. That's why we made trustworthy computing the top priority.' Streaming media in Real format is also available. [Video: Broadband | Narrowband] You can read the first half about the 'digital lifestyle' in Part 1: Bill Gates plots a Windows future. Here is the Slashdot discussion of the first part of the interview."

Comments

It takes one to know one!

[smccto]

"Certainly you can never underestimate the level of malicious people out there"

And he can?

It takes one to know one!

Billy's "todo" list

[Kadmos]

I wonder if Billy would ever tell us something isn't a "top priority"? I can just imagine it:
"Yeah, stability, we aren't really keen on that right at the moment, actually that's way down the list."

Thanks Bill, but with an inbox full of virus I get the feeling your "top priority" isn't as "top" as we would like.

Translation of Bill's answers

[OwlWhacker]

Q: "did you underestimate the value of security?"

A: [translated from Billspeak to reality]:

I'm not going to answer that. I mean, come on, we all know that Windows wasn't designed with security in mind. So, I tell you what, I'm going to turn your negative into a positive, like a good salesman.

Here, for a start, I'll get you to focus on the nasty people out there that are exploiting Microsoft software - they're the bad guys, ok, not us!

Next, I'll tell you about auto-update, and that millions of people are using it. You don't have to worry because Windows updates itself. It takes away the hassle, right? And doesn't it make you 'feel' safer?

And of course, Microsoft has marketed the fact that security is its business. Even if Microsoft software isn't secure, we like to give that impression.

Q: "Nevertheless, a lot of our viewers still say to us: 'Microsoft didn't take that threat seriously enough and we are having problems.'"

A: [translated from Billspeak to reality]:

Ok, I don't want to answer that either, as it makes us look bad - and how can I refute something that's a fact?

Instead, I'll get you to focus (yet again) on the positive fact that Microsoft makes it easy to sit back and do nothing, letting Windows auto-update itself. Remember, Microsoft software is used because it's easy to use (not because it works).

...

I couldn't be bothered to read any further.

advertising your weakness

[rich42]

Ford: 'Quality is Job 1' Qwest: 'The Spirit of Service' Microsoft: 'trustworthy computing'

Trust

[alext]

That's why we made trustworthy computing the top priority.

An illuminating quote to choose because it is a complete non sequitur. And perhaps this isn't that obvious to everybody, even in sceptical /. land.

In reality, there is no requirement for Microsoft to trust the software on my machine in order for me to trust it. The two relationships are quite distinct. I may choose to trust software that Microsoft has never heard of. Conversely, I may distrust software that MS has endorsed.

The "trustworthy computing" soundbite has to be this vague because to pin down who is trusting whom to do what would immediately give the game away. The game is, of course, to encourage users to give up control of their PCs.

Re:Security? Ha!

[R.Caley]

Windows is prone to a lot of problems due to the default "administrator" account.

Once you've seen a child having to become adminstrator to play a Microsoft game, you quickly realise just how serious Microsoft are about security and usability.