Microsoft moves to open government Windows

By Alun Williams

Posted on 15 Jan 2003 at 17:32

Microsoft has announced a new Government Security Program (GSP) - an initiative to provide government bodies with controlled access to Windows source code.

And it is not just the US government involved. Russia and NATO have already signed GSP agreements with Microsoft, and the company is in discussions with 20 other countries.

Governments - the software company solemnly states - 'must place security at the forefront of their information technology requirements' and the move is intended to reassure national bodies about the contents of their Windows-based computer systems. Microsoft believes the enhanced security features of the Windows platform should be seen to be believed.

The GSP is a no-fee initiative that will let participants review Windows source code using a special code review tool.

'The Government Security Program will provide governments with the opportunity to assess the security and integrity of the Microsoft products they deploy. In talking with government customers, we've been told this is a key capability that they need and we responded,' said Craig Mundie, chief technology officer for advanced strategies and policy at Microsoft.

Mundie also emphasised that in addition to source code access, Microsoft will also be providing technical documentation and access to Microsoft technical help.

The move builds on Microsoft's existing Shared Source Initiative, which is primarily for the benefit of academic rather than commercial institutions. It provides restricted access to Microsoft code by specified 'community partners'.

Essentially, with this initiative Microsoft is addressing the growing acceptance of Open Source software for security critical tasks - operations where the exact content of a computer system may need to be vetted. This represents a strong advantage for the re-use of widely-proved code. Windows, by contrast is a closed, proprietary system.