Posted on Thursday, August 22 2013 @ 15:02 CEST by Thomas De Maesschalck
Internal documents from the German government reveal that their IT experts consider Windows 8 to be a security and espionage risk. The new Trusted Computing functionality is reportedly the most controversial part of the new operating system as it may be used as a backdoor by government agencies like the NSA:
Critics argue that it limits users in their computer usage because what is allowed and what’s not is controlled by large companies like Microsoft, HP Cisco or Intel. With the upcoming Trusted Computing 2.0 standard, that should become part of Windows in 2015 , it’s possible that only Microsoft can decide what software is trusted and what not. It can also remotely make software untrusted and therefore unusable. And according to the German experts, because there is remote access possible, it could help security services to spy on users using the OS.
As the hardware is so secure it’s also harder to see what’s going on inside. That could make it possible for secret services to force manufacturers and developers of Trusted Computing chips and software to include backdoors. Countries as China and the United States would be likely candidates as the development and manufacturing of the software and chips is often done there.
Source: MyCE
