Microsoft: Be Careful What You Wish For

CNN.com - Microsoft to hackers: Take your best shot - Aug 3, 2006

Microsoft is actually challenging "security experts' (read: hackers) to try to poke holes on their upcoming Vista operating system.  Based on what I know of the hacker ethos, *real* hackers wouldn't even touch this OS with a ten-foot pole, much less respond to Microsoft's call.  They'd rather sit in the sidelines and wait for its actual release... then start looking at it more closely.

Personally, I think this is a wise step for Microsoft because to expose Vista's vulnerability at this time (its still in beta as of this writing), would mean that they will have an opportunity to plug whatever security holes are discovered by people who respond to their call.  But as I've said, not all of them will respond and not all of them will have the best intentions when these things are done.

And as I've said:  With challenges like this, don't be surprised at the number of "findings" these security experts will come up with.

technorati tags:microsoft, security, Microsoft-Vista, Windows-Vista, InfoSec

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