Symantec Still Whining, Stomping Feet Over Vista
Symantec is still crying foul because Microsoft is finally doing what security critics for years have been urging Microsoft to do- Secure its operating system against compromise. Part of the new security initiative for the upcoming Vista operating system is to harden the kernel, require digital certificates for all device drivers, and to prevent anyone from mucking around at the core level- Including other software companies.
Symantec, who has been making poor business decisions for about three years now, has been releasing “white papers” that criticize a beta release of the Microsoft Operating System in order to frighten away consumers from the more secure OS. Symantec is hoping consumers stick with Microsoft XP, a less secure OS, and one that Symantec can still make money on antivirus tools.
No one in the security industry is taking Symantec seriously about these so-called “white papers.” Real White Papers are documents that contribute to the common body of knowlege in a particular industry. Such papers are supposed to advance the community in cutting edge theories and best practices, and organizations that publish really good white papers are admired, respected and viewed with integrity.
But organizations that publish “white papers” that are designed to push an opinion or a marketing concept are given the old bronx cheer.
From VNUNet here:
Symantec cries foul over Vista’s locked kernel
Security features in the Windows Vista kernel obstruct innovations by antivirus and other security applications, security vendor Symantec has claimed.
“If security vendors don t have access to the platform kernel, it cuts down on our ability to innovate and create compatible solutions,” Oliver Friedrichs, director of emerging technologies in Symantec Security Response wrote on the company’s website.
In the third of a series of three whitepapers (PDF download) on Vista’s security, Symantec probed the security kernel security features and claimed that it is possible to circumvent the security features.
“These new technologies, along with Microsoft s unwillingness to make compromises in this area, have serious implications for the security industry as a whole,” said Friedrichs.
He alleged that Microsoft is forcing end users to only use solutions offered or allowed by the software vendor, thereby stifling competition and innovation in the security industry.
“In the end, a less secure internet will result and both consumers and enterprises will find themselves more vulnerable to cyber attack,” Friedrichs concluded.
Note the bolded statements. Symantec is gearing up for a Netscape-esque complaint to the Department of Justice about anti-competitive and anti-trust violations. Whining about Microsoft’s unfairness didnt help Netscape out one bit in the 90’s. In fact, it sounded its death knell. Symantec can stamp its feet all it wants. But ‘big yella’ has no one to blame for its poor business decisions but itself.
See other stories on Symantec here.
