Michael Cherry [email] [bio]
Posted: Mar. 1, 2004

Executive Summary

While Microsoft has made significant progress addressing security vulnerabilities, product reliability concerns, and privacy issues, much work remains before computers are as ubiquitous and dependable as telephones

Introduction

Trustworthy Computing is Microsoft's long-term initiative to make its products as safe, usable, and reliable as the telephone

Secure by Design

Making products secure by design requires keeping security in mind through all phases of development

Secure by Default

Making products secure by default requires installing only the features users really need and installing them with the safest possible configuration

Secure by Deployment

The lack of tools to determine the security state of computers and bring them up to date with necessary patches is hurting Microsoft's secure by deployment efforts

Security Communications

Helping customers learn about vulnerabilities and patches, and how to use products securely, requires open and complete communications

Reliability

If users are to rely on computers in the same way that they rely on phones, then computers must be more dependable and available

Privacy

As it did initially with security, Microsoft is using its framework to drive improvements for the privacy pillar of its Trustworthy Computing initiative

Business Integrity

As part of its commitment to corporate responsibility and to enhance the perception of its business integrity, Microsoft must ensure that all employees comply with its standards of business conduct

Conclusion

Future Trustworthy Computing advances will require ever-greater levels of consistency and coordination across historically autonomous product divisions

Appendix A, Next-Generation Secure Computing Base

Microsoft's Next-Generation Secure Computing Base is new security technology that is the cornerstone of its long-term plans to better secure the PC

Appendix B, Trustworthy Computing Glossary

A glossary describes the unique vocabulary of Trustworthy Computing

Appendix C, Resources

A listing of useful links for additional information on Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing initiative

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