Gates' Money Is On Security

When Windows Vista arrives later this year, it will come chockablock with technology to keep suspect PCs off corporate networks, prevent installed software from harming files, and ward off viruses and spam. Expect Microsoft to make data security one of the major selling points of the new operating system. But as the company piles on features to prevent attacks, it's facing another challenge--to make sure its security measures are easier to find and use.

"We have an overly complex situation today," Microsoft chairman Bill Gates said at last week's RSA Conference. The company's new operating system will introduce "network access protection" technology to quarantine access for laptops that don't comply with a company's PC policies until they can be updated, scaled-back administrative privileges for ordinary users, and more powerful anti-malware safeguards. Gates is staking Microsoft's money and reputation on Vista improving security. "If you look at our investment in the next version of Windows, security would jump out as the thing we've spent the most time on," he said.

Today, PC users and administrators must take too many steps to turn on Windows' security measures, which can leave machines unprotected. On the desktop, Vista promises to close security loopholes and require fewer prompts for users. For IT departments, it will bring simpler management tools, says John Pescatore, an analyst at Gartner. But there's a trade-off between simplicity and control, warns Pete Lindstrom, an analyst at Spire Security. "The attacks are highly technical, yet you want the PC to be highly functional," he says. For Microsoft, there's money to be made in making that trade-off less painful for its customers.

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It Took A Village To Mess Up IT Security; Now They're Fixing It