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Microsoft has long been the ridicule of the hacker community for the perceived lack of security in their products. Besides being regularly exposed over newly discovered vulnerabilities, the company has even faced embarrasment of being victimized by hackers in 2000. Despite the launch of their Trustworthy Computing Initiative, the community has not looked kindly upon its initiatives...that is, until last week's unveiling of Vista to a throng of hackers at the 2006 Black Hat Conference.

The overall reception for Microsoft was not only cordial, it was even collegial, friendly and encouraging. Here's what one attendee had to say -

"I am here to learn how Microsoft is making the world better for us. If they are doing what they say they are, they are definitely headed in the right direction."

Remarkable. This turnabout can probably be traced back to a Blue Hat session last year sponsored by Microsoft to reach out to the hacker community, rather than treating them as the arch enemy. One has to ask - does this portend good things for the industry? Is the community embracing Microsoft as recognition of the improved security of its products or has it fallen prey to a variant of Microsoft's embrace, extend, extinguish approach?

For my part, I have no ax to grind with Microsoft - I often think they're in a tough position. For the sake of the industry, I hope it's evidence that security has improved, if not arrived, for the biggest software vendor in the world.

Posted by andreyee in Odds and Ends |Digg This|Add to del.icio.us

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