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The First Step on the Road to More Secure Software is admitting you have a Problem
21 February 08 06:31 AM

I just wrote an article over on the SDL blog about my observations from the industry to Jeff Jones' vulnerability analysis and the lack of security progress by our competitors. Read More...

Postedby michael_HOWARD | 9 Comments    

Filed under: Security, Rant

"Open-source projects certified as secure" – huh?
10 January 08 05:35 PM

I really got a chuckle out of this news item , especially this line: “Coverity, which creates automated source-code analysis tools, announced late Monday its first list of open-source projects that have been certified as free of security defects.” So Read More...

Postedby michael_HOWARD | 13 Comments    

Filed under: Security, Rant

Common Criteria: Is it Safe?
20 December 07 01:02 PM

My colleague, Eric Bidstrup, has posted a thought provoking commentary about the Common Criteria. I think it's fair to say Eric is simply voicing what a great many people think about the (lack of) value of CC. Read More...

Postedby michael_HOWARD | 1 Comments    

Filed under: Security, Rant

Recent CRN Article comparing Windows XP SP2 and Windows Vista
03 June 07 06:04 AM

Jeff has a post about the recent CRN and Ars Technica articles comparing XPSP2 and Vista security. One thing I love about Jeff is he's blunt. Damned blunt. Read More...

Postedby michael_HOWARD | 1 Comments    

Filed under: Security, Rant, Vista

Security Education v. Security Training
03 May 07 08:49 PM

David Ladd, a partner in crime, has just made a post on the SDL blog about Security Education. He starts: "There has been a lot of hoopla lately around "secure programming skills" – with not-so-thinly veiled condemnations of academicians and the role Read More...

Postedby michael_HOWARD | 2 Comments    

Filed under: Security, Rant

My Take on Windows Vista Security “Vulnerabilities”
16 March 07 05:04 PM

I love looking at and analyzing security bugs, but I also enjoy observing how people react to knowledge of security bugs. Over the last few weeks, I’ve seen a number of interesting articles about Windows Vista security that made me smile. So I thought Read More...

Postedby michael_HOWARD | 16 Comments    

Filed under: Security, Rant, Vista

UAC BS
08 February 07 01:30 PM

Howdy once again from RSA. It's raining. So much for sunny California! Jeff and I just gave our talk about Windows Vista Security Engineering. It was a packed room. In fact, when we got to the room we saw a bunch of people milling around outside. We went Read More...

Postedby michael_HOWARD | 20 Comments    

Filed under: Security, Rant, Vista

What is it that makes security hard?
02 February 07 04:20 PM

I’ve been asked this question numerous times, often in the guise of a question like, “why can’t you guys simply fix the security problem?” or “reliability and scalability problems are understood and solvable, why can’t you do the same with security?” Read More...

Postedby michael_HOWARD | 8 Comments    

Filed under: Security, Rant

A couple of interesting security blog posts
19 January 07 02:09 PM

Jeff has an uncanny ability to dig into details that most folks gloss over: Exposed? : Examining Secunia Unpatched Warnings - Part 3 I have to concur with Kai: People like this just frost me: Security considered a burden for users Read More...

Postedby michael_HOWARD | 9 Comments    

Filed under: Security, Rant, Vista

My Take on Visual Studio 2005 SP1 and Windows Vista
04 January 07 02:51 PM

Over the last couple of days, many people have asked for my take on the fact that Visual Studio 2005 SP1 requires admin privileges to run on Windows Vista, and pops up a dialog saying so when it starts up. So, here’s my take, and I don't work for the Read More...

Postedby michael_HOWARD | 11 Comments    

Filed under: Security, Rant, Vista

NNNNNOOOOooooo......!
23 February 05 09:28 PM

From "Making Windows XP Start Faster" at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1768883,00.asp Two of the services listed under "Stopping Unneeded Startup Services" Automatic Updates: This service enables Windows XP to check the Web automatically for updates. Read More...

Postedby michael_HOWARD | 36 Comments    

Filed under: Security, Rant