Microsoft`s security-focused service pack 2 (SP2) for Windows XP, due out in the middle of this year, has come under fire for possibly breaking other applications. Microsoft, however, has defended its call to developers to stringently test how their code works with SP2.
International reports intimate that Microsoft is calling on all software developers to test their code against the beta version of Service Pack 2, or face the possibility that the update will break their handiwork. There are major security-focused updates to the OS in SP2, which, according to reports, "changes programming defaults".
Right of reply
Microsoft has responded by saying recent reports of SP2 "undoing more applications than it secures" are unfounded. Danny Naidoo, developer and platform group director at Microsoft South Africa, explains that Microsoft is working with local software vendors on a one-on-one basis, "ensuring that they are aware of the changes and get access to the beta of the service pack."
Initiatives by the developer and platform team are part of an active call for developers to be involved with the beta programme and test the impact of SP2`s security features.
"The company is also committed to guiding developers on applications that could be at risk in an upgrade," he admits. One of those resources is the training and guidance offered by the Security Developer Centre.
Security focus
Naidoo says the days when service packs were collections of bug fixes are over. "There is simply no room for unsecure applications that introduce vulnerabilities. Our SP releases are handled more stringently in terms of testing and their compliance with the Trustworthy Computing practices. We have also taken a more proactive approach in terms of guidance to the market - in particular to developers." concludes Naidoo.
Microsoft South Africa is running a security seminar for developers on March 16, where the XP SP2 functionality and the impact it can have on applications is investigated. Highlights of changes in SP2 will also be covered in the forthcoming Devdays in May.
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