Windows Vista Will Not Have Any Backdoors for Security Forces to Access Encrypted Files
In mid-February, the British government discussed with Microsoft the possibility of creating a backdoor for access to the operating system. A backdoor is a method of gaining access to a computer without the owner’s knowledge.
However, Microsoft has officially rejected this request, asserting that law enforcement agencies can achieve such access using existing legal tools.
“Microsoft has never and will never open a ‘backdoor’ in the Windows operating system,” a Microsoft representative stated.
During discussions with the British government, the main topic of conversation focused on BitLocker Drive Encryption—a new security feature in Windows Vista. This feature allows the operating system to encrypt all data in case the computer is lost or stolen.
The British side expressed concern that this feature could hinder law enforcement agencies from accessing seized computers.
“They suggested that we should work with the authorities to create a backdoor to help them access data encrypted by BitLocker,” said Niels Ferguson, a Microsoft programming expert.
Microsoft is currently in negotiations with various governments regarding the new Windows Vista operating system. However, most discussions revolve around the use of this new operating system and the BitLocker feature for the security purposes of those nations, Ferguson noted on his personal blog. ‘We have also received requests from law enforcement agencies. They anticipate wanting to read data encrypted by BitLocker and they want to be prepared for this work.’
“But a backdoor is unacceptable,” Ferguson asserted. “Moreover, those agencies cannot find anyone willing to implement and test this backdoor.”
Windows Vista is expected to be released by the end of this year.
