Ballmer Addresses Security

Steve Ballmer, Microsoft’s CEO, typically plays the role of Microsoft’s chief cheerleader. But recently Ballmer has put that role aside; instead of leading the cheer for Microsoft, he has used several recent speeches as opportunities to address the security of Microsoft’s products. For example, during his keynote speech at the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference in Oct. 2003, Ballmer reviewed the progress the company has made to improve the security of its products; introduced the concept of perimeter shielding or safety technologies, which Microsoft hopes will become a first line of defense in the security battle; and outlined some near-term security-related deliverables.

Ballmer’s View of the Situation

Security has become such a big concern that some customers have hesitated to sign multiyear licensing agreements, impacting Microsoft’s revenues in the most recent quarter. (See “Unearned Revenue Drops in Q1’04“.) In several recent speeches, Ballmer has acknowledged this concern. He also indicated that the attacks that exploit vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s software are increasing in frequency and sophistication, that the time between a vulnerability being found and the introduction of malicious code that exploits it is shrinking, and that the people who launch such attacks to inflict maximum damage are criminals.