For Windows Vista Security, Microsoft Called in Pros

Microsoft and the NSA

For the first time, the giant software maker is acknowledging the help of the secretive agency, better known for eavesdropping on foreign officials and, more recently, U.S. citizens as part of the Bush administration's effort to combat terrorism. The agency said it has helped in the development of the security of Microsoft's new operating system -- the brains of a computer -- to protect it from worms, Trojan horses and other insidious computer attackers.

However this is not the first time MS has worked with the NSA, nor is the NSA the only agency Microsoft has consulted with - NATO has also advised MS on security issues. While this announcement is obviously designed to reassure customers that Vista is more secure than ever, it cannot be denied that MS are taking the operating system's security very seriously.