Cut Microsoft Slack

It may surprise some of you that I am coming out in defense of Microsoft. Well, more accurately, I’m taking a neutral stance as it pertains to a widely lambasted Monad vulnerability. So many people on one side of the Microsoft vs. the world argument are criticizing Microsoft over supposed viruses and exploits written for Monad, the new version of the infamous command shell included in Windows. Windows Vista was supposed to include Monad and now apparently, they are not.

The reality is that it is a good thing that the security holes have been found this early on. It is a good thing that Monad is already being hacked. And it’s not good for the Microsoft detractors. It is good for Microsoft itself. It means that they have time to possibly lock Monad down before it becomes a full time member of aw widely distributed Windows release. I use the word “possibly” because, although I am coming to their defense on the issue now, Microsoft does not necessarily have an historically great track record with security. At least by the criticism and holes being discovered now they have the opportunity to fix the problem. I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. There is always holes in software when it is first released, whether by Microsoft or not. The reality is that it takes a few trial runs for all the problems to be discovered. It’s called testing and it is a necessary part of the software development process.

I can give them the benefit of the doubt. The question is, will Microsoft’s detractors cut them a little slack as well?

Tagged as: Security, Sysadmin, Technology, windows_vista