How NSA access was built into Windows

[David G. Miller]

"Peter Gordon" <peter at thecodergeek.com> wrote:

> My statement was that, should Microsoft actually fix
> their security holes and design practices, it would likely break
> backward-compatibility quite severely, as well as preclude the need for many
> anti-malware packages. This, in turn, would drastically harm the business
> of these companies as well as force software companies that made use of these
> "features" (*ahem*) to fix their software - which could create quite large
> potential costs. This, in turn, makes them charge more for the software,
> which in turn reduces the potential total amount purchased (price-demand
> curve), which in turn means that people will not purchase as much Windows
> software and support (*ahem*...if that's what they call it). This, in turn,
> means that people will be much less inclined to use anti-malware products,
> and the cycle continues.
>
> Thus, should MS fix these things, they and many other companies potentially lose
> quite a lot of money.
You left out Microsoft income from:

- Charging for support.  Customers will pay for information as to how to 
overcome or work around the various flaws and bugs.
- Charging for training.  People will pay to be trained and certified in 
the "Microsoft Way" of using and maintaining M$ systems.  This is 
especially true if those systems are inscrutable due to obscure flaws 
and bugs.
- Charging for the next upgrade.  Once Microsoft pulls the plug on 
supporting a particular product, the product is worthless due to the yet 
to be discovered flaws and security holes.

Given Microsoft's near monopoly position, they have significant 
incentive to continue shipping the same level of bug infested, unstable, 
unreliable security jokes they always have.  This situation will 
continue to exist until they start losing enough market share due to 
these problems that there is more money to be made by providing a high 
quality, stable, reliable, secure product.  They have no incentive to 
fix them until that time.

Cheers,
Dave

-- 
Politics, n. Strife of interests masquerading as a contest of principles.
-- Ambrose Bierce