Windows

For many of the security researchers who trek to Microsoft's twice-yearly Blue Hat conference, one of the big highlights doesn't happen until after the event itself ends. The Limo Races--a scavenger hunt through Seattle that teams Microsoft security folks with outside researchers--have become a Blue Hat tradition.

Blue Hat itself, and the Limo Races, are part of a broad effort by Microsoft to forge closer relationships with the security community. The role of those relationships in Microsoft's security strategy is the topic of Day 2 of my special report: "Securing Microsoft: A long road." Monday, … Read more

Microsoft said Monday that it's seeing piracy rates for Windows Vista that are half those of Windows XP.

Now cynical me wanted to write this up as "even pirates prefer XP two to one over Vista," but that wouldn't be fair. In reality, the decline in piracy rates is largely due to the fact that Vista is much tougher to counterfeit than XP.

"Piracy rates are lower because it's harder," Microsoft Vice President Mike Sievert said in an interview Monday.

There are a variety of reasons for that, including the fact that businesses … Read more

Microsoft said Monday that it has expanded its testing of Windows XP Service Pack 3, to include subscribers of its MSDN and TechNet programs. Last month, Microsoft made available a test version of XP Service Pack 3 to a group of about 15,000 testers.

The update is significant in that it is the largest change in some time to Microsoft's most-used operating system. However, the XP update is largely a collection of previously issued bug fixes and security updates.

A public beta is scheduled for some later date, with a goal of having it released in final form … Read more

REDMOND, Wash.--Tired of having to fight for a free conference room, Microsoft's security chief, Mike Nash, decided in early 2005 that the company needed a dedicated "war room" where his team could handle emergency responses.

And while he was at it, why not have two? That way, the folks working on fixing a security crisis could have a little breathing room from those drafting the public and customer communications around the issue.

"They were tired of the communications people hearing of things that were half-baked," Nash said.

The Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) was … Read more

Updated 3 p.m., with additional comments from Microsoft on timing of Windows Server 2008.

One of the nice things about being Microsoft is that a lot of money comes in, good times and bad.

Asked Thursday about the impact Microsoft is seeing from the uncertainty in the credit markets, a top Microsoft finance executive said the company has yet to see anything particularly worrisome.

"We're not seeing anything different than what we said back in October (during an earnings conference call)," said Peter Klein, the CFO of Microsoft's business division, speaking at Credit Suisse's … Read more

The Business Software Alliance is best known for tracking piracy rates and announcing high-profile settlements over improperly licensed programs. But a new study finds that most of its money is not coming from big corporations, but from small businesses.

Associated Press writer Brian Bergstein said his analysis showed that 90 percent of settlement revenue comes from small businesses. Last year the agency, which monitors compliance for companies such as Microsoft and Adobe Systems, took in $13 million in settlement proceeds, according to the AP.

Among the other interesting tidbits is a chart showing where the organization's income originates (81 … Read more

Microsoft late last week released an updated test version of Windows XP Service Pack 3 to about 15,000 beta testers. The update, the third such service pack for the six-year-old operating system is due out in final form in the first half of next year. The company said before its final release it expects to issue a public test version of the service pack, though it did not provide more specificity than at "a later date."

"We are targeting (the first half of) 2008 for the release of XP SP3," Microsoft said, "though our … Read more

Are you kidding me? ZDNet takes something that has been common knowledge for years and treats it as if it was news?

I'm speaking of the dog and pony show that Tom Espiner wrote about on November 13th with the eye catching headline Microsoft exec calls XP hack 'frightening'. Great headline, it got my attention.

The computer in question was running Windows XP with Service Pack 1 and was connected to an unsecured wireless network. Adding more vulnerabilities to the mix, "The machine was running no antivirus, firewall, or anti-spyware software..." according to Mr. Espiner.

I'd … Read more

Windows hardware makers will get an extra week next spring to work on their products. Microsoft said Thursday that it is shifting the timing of its WinHEC conference--practically a spring ritual--to the fall.

The conference will be held next year at a West Coast location, but Microsoft didn't say which one. (Can Hawaii please be considered West Coast?)

"We rescheduled WinHEC for the fall in response to industry feedback," Microsoft said in an e-mail. The company promised that the event will offer "Microsoft vision for Windows and the future of PC computing" along with the … Read more