The threats of massive digital disruptions and other
forms of cyberterrorism are real, but the effort to defend against
those attacks means Americans need not give up their right to
privacy, said Microsoft chairman Bill Gates.
"We worry not only about weapons of mass destruction, but also
about weapons of mass disruption - ways to bring down our
financial, government, military and other computing systems," said
Gates. "This threat is real and would disrupt American physical and
economic well-being and have a far broader world impact."
Gates was speaking at a technology conference in Washington
sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and
the Information Technology Industry Council. He outlined his
company's vision for a successful technology-enabled homeland
security effort that does as much to protect the privacy of
Americans as it does to protect them from harm.
"The conversation America is having about homeland security
information technology will be a force for more security and more
privacy, more freedom and more freedom from fear," said Gates.
As part of a multipronged effort, Gates said Microsoft has
already made significant investments in trying to make its own
products more secure.
Last year, as part of Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing
initiative, all 8,500 of its Windows developers were ordered to
stop work on new features and spend several months locating and
fixing vulnerabilities in the code.
"The cost was hundreds of millions of dollars, and the
engineering work moved out the release of our recent Windows Server
2003 product by over six months," said Gates.
Gates added that Microsoft continues to work on the
next-generation security computing base, a program formerly known
as Palladium, which will integrate new security and privacy
technologies into a future version of the Windows operating system.
Microsoft engineers are also working on digital rights management
technologies which, Gates said, will give users more control over
how information can be used after it is transmitted over the
internet.
"It can give people confidence in sharing information while
limiting its spread," he said. "It can help law enforcement track
down those who threaten our citizens, without threatening civil
liberties."
Gates threw his support behind a federal plan to create an
awards programme sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security
to recognise supplier achievements in producing high-quality,
reliable and secure software. But he also would like to see the
federal government spend more money on research and development in
security that can be used by the private sector.
"Public research and development will play a vital role in
advancing the IT industry," said Gates. "It is important that this
technology be available under permissive licences so that industry
can take the technology and further develop it and commercialise it
to make all software more secure."
Gates said Microsoft is committed "to working with the
government and the entire industry to build a more secure computing
system around the world". But he acknowledged that more
international co-operation will be necessary.
"Our homeland security responsibility doesn't stop at the
water's edge," said Gates. "This is a global threat, and it
requires a global response. The nations all over the world have to
mount a common defence."
Dan Verton writes for Computerworld