Microsoft has signed a deal to open its Windows 7 source code up to the Russian intelligence services. Russian publication Vedomosti reported on Wednesday that Microsoft had also given the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) access to Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, Microsoft Office 2010 and Microsoft SQL Server source code, with hopes of improving Microsoft sales to the Russian state. The agreement will allow state bodies to study the source code and develop cryptography for the Microsoft products through the Science-Technical Centre ‘Atlas’, a government body controlled by the Ministry of Communications and Press, according to Vedomosti. . . The agreement is an extension to a deal Microsoft struck with the Russian government in 2002 to share source code for Windows XP, Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2000, said Vedomosti.
They also share it with university students, who secretly wrote it.. be afraid.
A programmer might be wondering – why would you need the source code for the operating system to write crypto software for it?
My guess is – windows was compared against Linux at some meeting. Access to source code was cited as a a plus for Linux. Microsoft was willing to show the source to get that checkbox checked.
How is it like some under rated superhero that linux is somehow involved in the plot?
Morglum
Say what?
Linux is part of the plot because without the open source nature of Linux, Microsoft would have very little desire to share the source code of Windows.
Now that the Russians have access to the code, will they be able to release better viruses?
yes they’ll release industrial strength spyware and bots
the new malware will have better performance, better compatibility, less crash and will circumvent all firewall, ids and antiviruses
D’oh … it’s not that bad. You will be able to get Win7 src code from torrents …
To do what with it?
I don’t see the point. It’s not like one can change the bad things in it and make it a more capable OS for everyday use.
Seriously USA has had this for years and which country I’m more afraid? USA! Seriously yanks are so insanely paranoid people nowdays that they are patrolling Canadian border like it was freaking Mexico! I’m sure canucks are trying to jump to USA for better healthcare, zing.
Given white and black hatters are trying to find new holes on Windows all time I seriously doubt ruskies will find anything, besides there goverment is so broke why bother. China might have billion monkeys but they aren’t educated monkies.
You should restrain from writing in that style.
Your points would have not been clouded by the bad vibes this comment reeks.
last time I checked some senators were making a fuss and went all national-security “blah blah” when IBM was selling their hardware tech to the Chinese, granted that Russia aren’t commies anymore but this??!, The US government is really dependent on MS software, this is like early christmas for crackers/hackers. Probably IBM wasn’t as good as M$ at lobbying.
So, when the Russian secret service gets access to the source code, the US government needs to be afraid of hackers, right? And what about the other way around? The NSA has had access to the source code for years, so the Russian government has all reason to be afraid, that’s why MS gave them the source code.
I’m also not quite comfortable with the NSA and the FSB having access to the sources, and me not. Gives an unfair advantage to hackers. That’s why most European countries switch to Linux.