The Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) plans to release a report Wednesday arguing that Microsoft’s dominance in key computer technologies threatens the national infrastructure, Robert Lemos reports for CNET News.com. This may be the first time that this situation has been officially presented to legislators although it’s routinely discussed among security professionals.
According to Lemos, the CCIA report will state that “the reliance on a single technology such as the Windows operating system for such an overwhelming majority of computer systems threatens the security of the U.S. economy and critical infrastructure… The paper, written by three security experts, also warns that many security improvements planned by Microsoft are likely designed to raise the barrier that deters customers from switching to another operating system.”
The report will also blame Microsoft for using security to lock in consumers to Microsoft’s technology and recommends that, “if the company continues to do so, it be held liable for any damage done by security threats in the future.”
Full article here.
