Microsoft: Customised security is safer

Daily Newsletters

Sign up to ZDNet UK's daily newsletter.

NEWS
Microsoft is trying to make security obvious. The software giant plans to visually alter document or application windows that contain private information that's secured through Microsoft's Next-Generation Secure Computing Base (NGSCB), formerly known as Palladium. Secure windows will look different than regular, unsecured windows in order to remind users that they are looking at confidential material, Peter Biddle, product unit manager for Microsoft, said on Thursday at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference (WinHEC) in New Orleans. "We know that users need to be able to tell the difference between a trusted window and a regular one," Biddle said. "The window (will be) noticeably different." People are likely to customise the secure pages, which will help prevent "spoof attacks," where hackers plant a fraudulent Web page on a PC screen that looks, but isn't, a file from a person's doctor or accountant, for example. The border of a secured page may contain information -- such as the names of all the dogs that someone has ever owned -- to make the data instantly recognisable as sound to the individual owner, as well as difficult to replicate. A hacker can create a spoof page with dogs' names running along the border but, in all likelihood, not one reading "Buffy, Skip and Jack Daniels -- and in that order," Biddle said. NGSCB essentially creates a secure data vault and a secured way to transmit data between memory, the hard drive, the monitor and trusted third parties. Computer users will likely secure intellectual property files or bank records with it, but not the bulk of their data on their PC, according to Microsoft. Information on secured windows will vanish if another window is placed on top of it or shifted to the background. Erasing the information will prevent certain types of attacks and remind people that they're dealing with confidential material, Biddle said. When the secure window returns to the top of the stack, the information will reappear, he said. Microsoft is still working on how to implement this technology and what it will ultimately look like. Separately, David Kirk, an executive with graphics chipmaker Nvidia, said his company will be able to release graphics chips that conform to the NGSCB specifications the day that Longhorn, the next big version of Windows, comes out. NGSCB will not be integrated into Longhorn, which is due in 2005, but will instead come out as separate software, Biddle said. Over time, pieces of the technology will be integrated into the coming operating system. Graphics cards are a security problem, because they contain their own pool of memory. John Crank, senior branding associate at Advanced Micro Devices, said the chipmaker is also looking to adapt its products to the security technology. Earlier in the week at WinHEC, Microsoft showed off a prototype of NGSCB that's based on real and emulated hardware. Small applications running on the technology demonstrated its security features.
See the Windows News Section for the latest news, reviews and briefing papers on everything from Windows NT and 95 to service pack releases for XP. Let the editors know what you think in the Mailroom.

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

You can also log in with Facebook. Log in or create your ZDNet UK account below

  • Login

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy. Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Community FAQ

Get ZDNet UK's daily newsletter

Enter your email address to sign up

ZDNet UK Live

Sungwoo

do You know that? it can install 4G Ram. So i buy 4g and install It work! I can run call of duty 4,6,7 [Modern war... 1,2,3] Call of duty 1 was...

15 minutes ago by Sungwoo on Loose Ends - Upgrading the Aspire One 522
itsajob

2. Bad idea. Making up patch cables loses you your commission from the cable supplier. 3. If you tidy up, other people can understand where the...

6 hours ago by itsajob on Ten IT jobs to save up for those rare lulls
Roberto_Store

Now On Sale, Unlocked iPhone 4S / Galaxy Note In Factory Box. Roberto-Techie(UK) ”Now on Sales” Smartphone, Android,Tablets,Gadget &...

10 hours ago by Roberto_Store on Samsung Galaxy S III lined up for sale
Paul Smyth

Is this classic FUD? One thing I would definitely have notice is a Mozilla threat to stop supporting GNU/Linux.

12 hours ago by Paul Smyth via Facebook on Firefox rapid release improves Fedora Linux
UnderINK

I agree with the previous commenter wholeheartedly. I couldn't say it better myself. This is very 'Big Brother'. And while I agree with protecting...

16 hours ago by UnderINK on European e-identity plan to be unveiled this month
Simon Bisson and Mary Branscombe

Nice to see that Turing's idea of a general purpose computer doing once-hardware-powered tasks in software is now universal ;-) Mary

21 hours ago by Simon Bisson and Mary Branscombe on Software with everything
Jason Burchell

seriously now. I've only bothered to read a small bit of the comments. do me and the rest of the world a favour. stop saying it does not work or...

1 day ago by Jason Burchell via Facebook on Music industry negotiating over 24-bit downloads
Philip Charles Cohen

Read about it and weep, John Donahoe ... In addition to Visa’s V.me, there is now MasterCard’s PayPass digital wallet soon to arrive; another...

1 day ago by Philip Charles Cohen via Facebook on PayPal takes phone-based payments to the high street
apexwm

Leslie Satenstein : Where have you ever seen Mozilla even mention this? Firefox is the most popular browser in the GNU/Linux OS, so I don't see...

1 day ago by apexwm on Firefox rapid release improves Fedora Linux
songmaster

SHleG: Do you remember building a clockwork scorpion kit (I'm pretty sure I have a photo of it somewhere) — I think it was called something like...

1 day ago by songmaster on Software with everything
Chris Wortman

Good I love Yahoo! Their search engine is getting better than Google as of late. I find more of what I want on the first page, and usually within...

1 day ago by Chris Wortman via Facebook on Linux Mint 13 ramps up for KDE release
PatrickG

openhgs has made the point for Windows 8 multiple monitors without realising it! With Windows 7 you have to switch the mouse and so your focus...

1 day ago by PatrickG on Windows 8 could speed multi-monitor uptake
Leslie Satenstein

Mozilla has threatened to stop supporting Linux. I guess that UBUNTU is going with another browser. I indicated that if Mozilla stops supporting...

1 day ago by Leslie Satenstein via Facebook on Firefox rapid release improves Fedora Linux
Andy Bolstridge

Much as I abhor Microsoft's licensing practices, this is almost certainly down to purchasing IT equipment via 3rd party consultants - you get the...

1 day ago by Andy Bolstridge via Facebook on 6 million wasted licences and £1,200 PCs: welcome to government IT
Jack Schofield

@openhgs Windows users have had multiple desktops since Linus started writing Linux. They just haven't shipped as standard because not enough...

2 days ago by Jack Schofield on Windows 8 could speed multi-monitor uptake
Jack Schofield

@Phil at Cloud4 What, Microsoft gets £1,200 per PC and £1,622 per server? Gosh, I'm amazed....

2 days ago by Jack Schofield on 6 million wasted licences and £1,200 PCs: welcome to government IT
craigsc

You guys have no idea what is going on at Autonomy. Autonomy could have been a much more profitable organization. The sales operations at Autonomy...

2 days ago by craigsc on HP cuts 27,000 staff as Autonomy chief Lynch leaves
Moley

How does this impact on dual or multi booting? Seems to me to more or less prohibit this, from Windows 8 anyway. Will Grub 2 recognise Windows 8,...

2 days ago by Moley on Windows 8 start-up speed forces USB boot workaround
apexwm

I don't understand why there cannot be a slight pause during the boot process so the user can press a key. Many operating systems do this, even if...

2 days ago by apexwm on Windows 8 start-up speed forces USB boot workaround
Gavin Goodman

You can now buy the Xi3 modular computer in the UK at http://www.ocdistribution.com . This can be bought with the Tand3m software, pricing and...

2 days ago by Gavin Goodman on CES 2012: Xi3 microSERV3R