Built-in backdoor: German govt warns of significant Windows 8 security danger.

Built-in backdoor: German govt warns of significant Windows 8 security danger.(RussiaToday).

Documents uncovered and leaked by German news outlet Zeit Online found that the German Ministry of Economic Affairs was displaying significant unease with the combined technologies, suggesting the possibility that a backdoor could be created for further covert NSA surveillance operations.

The backdoor in question would allow Microsoft to control the computer remotely. “Trusted Computing,” a method developed and promoted by the Trusted Computing Group, is nothing new - fears were being aired over its capabilities and potential as early its founding in 1999.

TPM appeared in 2006 as security technology. However, version 2.0 would implant a chip on every single PC, allowing it to control which programs could and couldn’t be executed because under Windows 8, there is no override. The users thus basically surrender control over their computers.

One of the documents retrieved by Zeit Online found that BSI stated that “unconditional, complete confidence” in Trusted Computing by stipulations of TPM 2.0 was not possible. Trusted Computing cultivated specifications for how the chip would work with operating systems.

Another document from early 2012 mourned the fact that “due to the loss of full sovereignty over the information technology, the security objectives of ‘confidentiality’ and ‘integrity’ can no longer be guaranteed.”

While not fully clear on the specifics, the documents appear to indicate that the NSA had some form of representation at the TCG meetings – during which German officials were also present - saying that they were in favor of leaving the technology in its existing state, without any changes being necessary. This suggests that the NSA does not see TPM 2.0 as hindering its operations.

A Snowden leak from July this year showed how Microsoft worked hand-in-hand with the United States government in order to allow federal investigators to bypass encryption mechanisms meant to protect the privacy of millions.

Penton’s Windows IT Pro trade publication pointed out that Zeit Online “seem[ed] to be using a bit of imagination to connect the dots and maybe the German government has other ideas.”

In a press statement released late Wednesday, the BSI insisted that “From the perspective of the BSI, the use of Windows 8 in combination with a TPM 2.0 is accompanied by a loss of control over the operating system and the hardware used.” 


Related:

NSA has total access via Microsoft Windows.

How NSA access was built into Windows

" Kill switch Inside " Windows 8: Millions of PCs Will Get Kill Switches for the First Time.

" Kill switch Inside " Windows 8: Millions of PCs Will Get Kill Switches for the First Time.(BB).Janne Kytömäki, a Finnish software developer, was cruising Google’s (GOOG) Android Market for smartphone apps last year when he noticed something strange. Dozens of best-selling applications suddenly listed the same wrong publisher. It was as if Stephen King’s name had vanished from the covers of his books, replaced by an unknown author. Kytömäki realized the culprit was a piece of malware that was spreading quickly, and he posted his findings online.
Google responded swiftly. It flipped a little-known kill switch, reaching into more than 250,000 infected Android smartphones and forcibly removing the malicious code. “It was sort of unreal, watching something like that unfold,” says Kytömäki, who makes dice simulator apps.
Kill switches are a standard part of most smartphones, tablets, and e-readers. Google, Apple (AAPL), and Amazon (AMZN) all have the ability to reach into devices to delete illicit content or edit code without users’ permission. It’s a powerful way to stop threats that spread quickly, but it’s also a privacy and security land mine.
With the rollout of the Windows 8 operating system expected later this year, millions of desktop and laptop PCs will get kill switches for the first time. Microsoft (MSFT) hasn’t spoken publicly about its reasons for including this capability in Windows 8 beyond a cryptic warning that it might be compelled to use it for legal or security reasons.
The feature was publicized in a widely cited Computerworld article in December when Microsoft posted the terms of use for its new application store, a feature in Windows 8 that will allow users to download software from a Microsoft-controlled portal. Windows smartphones, like those of its competitors, have included kill switches for several years, though software deletion “is a last resort, and it’s uncommon,” says Todd Biggs, director of product management for Windows Phone Marketplace.
Microsoft declined to answer questions about the kill switch in Windows 8 other than to say it will only be able to remove or change applications downloaded through the new app store. Any software loaded from a flash drive, DVD, or directly from the Web will remain outside Microsoft’s control.
Hmmmmmm.......in the coming months unveiling of the Internet ID card...is it 'connected' with the 'kill switch' system?Read the full story here.