Re: [TCLUG:17041] <OT:anti-M$> *scary* stuff...

[<Nick.T.Reinking@supervalu.com>]

What this document is talking about is this:

Company X releases a piece of software that runs
on Windows.  To verify that it runs correctly, and
behaves correctly, they pay Microsoft to check it
over and verify that everything works to their
specifications.  Microsoft tests it, and then digitially
signs it.  Now, if you go to Company X's webpage
and download the software with IE, it'll pop up a
dialog saying that this piece of software has been
signed by Microsoft.

This is the *exact* same practice that, say, Verisign
has when they issue an SSL certificate.  I'm more
likely to believe that a commercial site is secure if
they have a Verisign certificate then if they bought
it from somebody I had never heard of.

Microsoft is doing nothing wrong in this case - what
they are doing is the right and correct thing to do.

I like to know that the piece of software I'm downloading
can likely be trusted.

Nick Reinking