Security Push Continues

Two recent announcements highlight Microsoft’s continued focus on security. Microsoft is telling customers that to stay secure, for example, to have the latest Microsoft security patches and fixes and benefit from the security code review of Windows, they should stay current; and Microsoft is also attempting to improve its vulnerability reporting. The announcements demonstrate Microsoft’s continued drive to appeal to enterprises that are increasingly concerned about security, but the requirement to “stay current” will lead to higher costs.

Stay Secure, Stay Current

Speaking as part of Microsoft’s Silicon Valley Speakers Series, Craig Mundie, chief technology officer for advanced strategies and policy, said that more users run Windows 95 and 98 than the newer versions of Windows, such as Windows 2000 and XP. Mundie used this fact to outline two trade-offs that are necessary to address the latest security challenges.

The first trade-off involves application compatibility. Mundie reiterated that Microsoft will forsake the ability for newer operating systems (OSs) to run older applications to ensure that Windows is more secure. Previously, Microsoft would err on the side of making legacy applications work even if it reduced the overall security and reliability of Windows.