AntBlog701: Microsoft targets ISPs

20 February, 2004

Microsoft targets ISPs

According to this news report, Microsoft is targeting ISPs for its leaked source code.

The email to ISP said,

"Since you own this IP address, we request that you take appropriate action against the account holder under your Abuse Policy/Terms of Service Agreement,"

What's a downloading of interesting information to do with "Abuse Policy."

"We're asking users to, No. 1, simply stop sharing and distributing it, and, No. 2, to delete and destroy (it)," [Microsoft US spokesman] said.

To distory it? forget about it.

Why's Microsoft's source code so secret? and making its operating systems so vulnerable? When comparing to open source operating systems.
Many open source products (not just operating systems) are proud to be open, and the results, strong and safe.

So listen to Microsoft's version, such source code will make its operating systems having more attacks? They don't even trust their own products? And now threatening ISPs.

Again, big company can do whatever they want.

Microsoft targets ISPs
(Kate Mackenzie, News.com.au, 20th Feb, 2004)

Microsoft has contacted at least one Australian internet service provider as part of a worldwide campaign to stop distribution of Windows source code that was leaked on the internet last week.

The Queensland-based ISP received an email from a J.K. Weston at Microsoft headquarters in Redmond, Washington, late Monday, saying it had "received information" that one of its users at a specific IP address had unlawfully distributed source code for Windows 2000 and/or Windows NT.

"Since you own this IP address, we request that you take appropriate action against the account holder under your Abuse Policy/Terms of Service Agreement," the email said.

"We also kindly request that you forward this notice promptly to the user of the IP address listed above at the time and date stated."

The ISP had not made a decision about how to respond to the request, although a staff member told Australian IT the legal message had at least requested, rather than demanded, the ISP take action, which was "heaps better than the ones from the music and movie industries".

...

More story: Microsoft targets ISPs (Kate Mackenzie, News.com.au, 20th Feb, 2004)

Posted by Antony on 20 February 2004 4:23 PM |

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comments

You are way off... its not a "big company" can do whatever it wants.... its the fact that when you can see the source code you can see how to brak into the running program very easily.... microsoft knows that its products have security holes. But having the source code out in the open leaves it up for even more attacks. They are just trying to tie up the loose ends to prevent more damage to customer system. And to respond to the rebuttle of "Well... why dont doesnt the open source OSs have these problems... its cause they are secure." Wrong! They are not secure, they have as many holes or perhaps more than windows... the difference is that windows has 95% of the market on systems... if your gonna write a virus, are you gonna write it to attack 95% of all systems, or just 5%. Dumbasses
Posted by Scott on 16 September 2004 4:26 AM.

I remember this incident from a first hand perspective. I can tell you that I knew who was involved, also, he was a reasonably well known person in the open source world. Microsoft, it seems, intended to use this to somehow claim that Linux/FOSS users were stealing their code. As for "Again, big company can do whatever they want." well... the person who downloaded the source code was only persued for three reasons: 1. MS siezed the tracker logs from the bittorrent server that this particular user was downloading from, with a threat of legal action... yes, they are big, so they can show up with lawyers and steal customers information, because the backlash from some curious leecher is nowhere near as much as MS and Associates Lawyers inc. 2. MS used their MSN logs to determine weather any known "Anti-MS Zealots" were accessing
Posted by x on 10 May 2005 1:54 AM.

Microsoft targets ISPsfrom AntBlog701

20 February, 2004

Microsoft targets ISPs

Microsoft targets ISPs
from AntBlog701