Vista gets the National Security Agency treatment

News Article - 10 January 2007
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Microsoft enlisted the help of the US National Security Agency (NSA) to make its Vista operating secure as secure as possible for consumers, it has emerged.

The agency's expertise was drafted in to ensure that the platform met the US Department of Defense's (DOD) requirements, an NSA spokesman told Techworld.com.

Spokesman Ken White told the news source that this had been the first time the NSA had been enlisted for consultation before the release of the operating system, but by getting involved early on in the process, the product would be secure and compatible with government software.

"This allows us to ensure that the off-the-shelf security configuration that the DOD customer receives is at a level that meets our standards," he told the website.

"It just makes a lot more sense to be involved up-front, than it does to have the tail wag the dog."

Previously, the NSA provided Microsoft with guidance on the best ways in which to make Windows operating systems more secure. It has also reviewed the computer giant's Vista Security Guide, the website claims.

"Our intention is to help everyone with security," Tony Sager, NSA chief of vulnerability analysis and operations group told the Washington Post.

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