Longhorn access security update

Tech news site vnunet.com reports that Microsoft is tightening down security for the new version of Windows, code-named Longhorn.

Users will no longer have administrator rights to their own computers, and there will be a on-board chip to prevent malware (”mal-” meaning ‘bad’ or ‘evil’, hence, ill-intentioned software) from accessing memory it should not be accessing in order to take over your computer. This chip will also be the repository of all your personal information, and is being touted as being 99% hacker-proof.

Now, I would believe this pile of malarkey except for one fact.

Microsoft has a history of keeping a back-door open in their software.

Ok, many back-doors.

If they hold true to their past, then very shortly some hacker, or worse, some cracker (an evil intentioned hacker) will find out what those back-doors are and abuse them.

And they will hold true to their past because with the Windows XP End User License Agreement (EULA) Microsoft became the Administrator of _YOUR_ computer. Meaning you gave them the right to do whatever they please with your computer and the data that you put on it. Do not make the mistake of thinking they will give up that godsend easily.

(Awakened from jet-lag edit.)

There is no mystery about this. They MUST keep at least one back door open in order to be able to administer _your_ computer, which is the ability they have assumed in Windows XP.

(End awakened from jet-lag edit.)

Need proof? Read the Windows XP EULA by clicking on Start, Run and typing:

notepad c:(backslash)windows(backslash)system32(backslash)eula.txt

and then hit Enter or click Ok. If you have a standard installation, it will come up.

NOTE: Where it shows “(backslash)” above, replace this with an actual backslash from your keyboard. (Not the slash on the same key as the question mark.)

By the way, I do see a good reason for Microsoft _NOT_ to repeat their past actions with Longhorn.

That being that the Microsoft stock price has been slipping for the past 5 years. That would be a BIG reason to change tactics for a publicly traded company, and (in this case) actually produce a secure computer operating system as Longhorn is being promoted to be.

But then, Microsoft is not just any publicly traded company…

On another angle, this does not bode well for older programs that need Windows XP-style Administrator privileges in order to run. Meaning many of your older database, gaming other programs, especially ones that access hardware such as scanners and cameras, will need upgrading.

I have no sympathy for those programs however as their programmers should have known better long ago. Instead, they took the easy way out and hopped on the Microsoft “Look ma! No security!” train.