Ah, that old chestnut. Apparently there is concern that Microsoft has built in a backdoor for the NSA into each copy of Windows 7.
From Computer World:
“The key problem is that NSA has a dual mission, COMPUSEC, computer security, now called cyber security, and SIGINT, signals intelligence, in other words surveillance,” Rotenberg said in an e-mail.
Yesterday, he raised the issue, which isn’t new, of whether the NSA pressures companies like Microsoft to craft so-called “backdoors” into their code that would let the agency track users and intercept users’ communications. Rotenberg called it an “obvious concern,” and added that it might be difficult for major software makers to turn down NSA “suggestions” because the U.S. federal government is an important customer.
I find it interesting that this comes up every time Microsoft releases a new OS. Never gets old. Let’s just all stipulate that, yes, the folks in the puzzle palace can get into your computer any time they want.
For the full article read on.
There have been backdoors in virtually every major OS ever released. Not put there by the NSA, but added accidentally by the overworked, rushed, and often undertrained folks who wrote the code. But I guess that isn’t as significant a story and a little fearmongering. And, as you observed, if the NSA wants to pwn you, you will be pwned.
@Jack Absolutely. I always get a chuckle from stories like this when I think of the hit parade of unintentional vulnerabilities that show up week after week.
Thanks for the comment.