Government Access to Source Code Expanded

The new Government Security Program (GSP) allows security-related organizations within national governments to review and modify security features in the source code for Windows desktop, server, and embedded operating systems (OSs). The program is a modest extension of the existing Government Source Licensing Program (GSLP), which allows government organizations to review Windows source code, but not to compile the source code with their own modifications. The GSP also expands the amount of source code that government organizations may review, although they must come to Microsoft’s campus to review the most sensitive code sections.

Aims of the New Program

The new program serves several purposes for Microsoft, positioning Windows better against Linux and other open-source OSs whose source code can be freely reviewed; encouraging governments to crack down on software piracy by limiting source code access to governments that have legal protections in place for intellectual property (Microsoft software accounts for a majority of the software pirated worldwide, according to the Business Software Association); and creating sales opportunities as government officials spend time at Redmond reviewing the way Windows is built and talking with Microsoft engineers.