Microsoft had a very bad reputation in the area of security. It’s programs were easily infected with viruses, corrupted, and otherwise compromised. But 10 years ago, Bill Gates sent an e-mail to all Microsoft employees announcing that software security was going to be a priority for the company. He announced a new initiative called Trustworthy Computing (TwC).
His e-mail in part said: “Every few years I have sent out a memo talking about the highest priority for Microsoft. Two years ago, it was the kickoff of our .NET strategy … Over the last year it has become clear that ensuring .NET is a platform for Trustworthy Computing is more important than any other part of our work. If we don’t do this, people simply won’t be willing – or able – to take advantage of all the other great work we do. Trustworthy Computing is the highest priority for all the work we are doing….”
At the heart of the Trustworthy Computing dictum were three core attributes necessary for making it work, security, privacy, and reliability. In other words, Microsoft’s software must incorporate these features in order to satisfy the customer base, and assure them that Microsoft’s security element is in full gear.
The Security Development Lifecycle
The Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) incorporates privacy development practices. It lead to the development of Microsoft products, which delivered more secure and private computing experiences for customers. This raised the bar for potential attackers making it more difficult to go after the software.
Reliability
There was a progress in reliability with the Windows Error Reporting tool. It has led to fewer system crashes, which meant an increase in productivity and reducing user frustration. They also published privacy standards for developers and gave consumers layered privacy notices when using certain software.
Cloud Computing
Microsoft’s next challenge will be the Azure Cloud service. Cloud computing is expected to grow dramatically in 2012, with more enterprises moving some operations to that environment, with Microsoft offering Office 365, a cloud based service, security is of utmost importance.
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