Update: A source close to Microsoft tells me the software – which is not yet complete – will be used only by public sector agencies. No information was provided as to how the software differs from the standard Chinese version of Windows 10.
While Apple has strongly resisted building a special ‘GovtOS’ to provide the U.S. government with access to iOS devices, it appears that Microsoft has no such qualms. TechInAsia reports that Microsoft has created a special version of Windows 10 for China, called Windows 10 Zhuangongban, which includes “more management and security controls.”
Although Microsoft hasn’t gotten any more specific than that, I’d agree with TNW that these controls are likely to have been introduced at the request of the Chinese government for domestic surveillance purposes.
We’re currently waiting to hear whether the Apple vs FBI case will return to court, or whether it will quietly fade away now that the FBI is receiving technical assistance from elsewhere. Apple, meantime, seemingly believes that not even the servers it purchases are safe from interception. It was reported last week that it is developing its own cloud infrastructure specifically to reduce the risk of snooping.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
What for?
Windows 10 already has many back doors installed.
I’d put it this way: as always with Microsoft products it’s the same thing under a different name, like “Windows Home Edition”, “Windows Pro Edition”, “Windows Ultimate Edition”. This time it gets “Gov Edition” appendix and it’s already a “new” product. And yes, it already had all required backdoors included.
“Apple, meantime, seemingly believe”
Meanwhile, not meantime.
Microsoft would give blow jobs if instructed to by the US Government. It does’nt respect peoples privacy as has been seens in Windows 10 so writing a back door for Windows for China could’nt have been much trouble for China to get them to do.
“Microsoft would give blow jobs if instructed…”
They don’t call it a job for nothing.
This is so…not surprising.
Apple made concessions to the chinese government also, so what do you expect from Microsoft?
Well, there’s you baselessly asserting that and there’s Apple saying under oath they haven’t.
They did? Perhaps so but I hadn’t read that. Link?
From Apple’s March 15 court filing: “Apple has never built a back door of any kind into iOS, or otherwise made data stored on the iPhone or in iCloud more technically accessible to any country’s government.”
http://mashable.com/2016/03/15/apple-doj-founders-appalled/#BxKtONdc7kqc
Microsoft… Garbage for the rest of us. What did you expect? I wouldn’t touch anything from that shit hole.
Apple will eventually write the back door the government wants but it will be done out of the limelight. The real fun begins when that backdoor gets loose in the wild.
This areticle is ridiculous, comparing two completely unlike things. Apple is not being asked to create a ‘GovtOS’ which is what Windows had created for China, a version of Windows to run on Chinese government computers. Apple is being asked to build a ‘hackedOS’ or an OS with reduced security to run solely when the government wishes to gain access to any iPhone. Comparing what the FBI is asking Apple to make to Windows 10 Zhuangongban is a complete misunderstanding of the situation and technology. Quit using GovtOS as a term to describe the software the FBI wishes from Apple it’s incorrect, misleading, and ridiculous from a tech blog.
Whether the two are analogous depends on your confidence in GovtOS remaining securely in Apple’s hands once it exists. As for the terminology, you’ll need to take that up with Apple, rather than the tech blogs: http://9to5mac.com/2016/02/25/apple-official-court-response-fbi-encryption/
Sorry about the name confusion, I didn’t realize it was from the court document.
They are not analogous. Windows 10 Zhuangongban is just the OS the chinese government uses, essentially a branded Windows 10 for the chinese government. It’s the equivalent of samsung adding more security and bloatware to their android OS. It’s not a special version to hack other devices, it can’t be used to gather other people’s information, its just a special copy of Windows 10 with some extra security and probably a few things turned off to keep it secure. You could go offer Microsoft a bunch of money now and they’ll make you Windows 10 Lovejoy.
‘GovtOS’ will never be run on a US government anything, its not supposed to be run at all, it should only be run by law enforcement to gain legal access to iOS devices. No way in hell the government would use it on government iOS devices, its less secure, the opposite of Windows 10 Zhuangongban. In this way ‘GovtOS’ is more a tool, not an operating system. To keep with our android comparison, ‘GovtOS’ would be a Google signed/released version of android that lets you get into any android phone regardless of manufacturer. An analogous piece of software to Windows 10 Zhuangongban would be if the government asked apple to create a more secure iOS for government use only, literally the exact opposite of ‘GovtOS’.
You don’t need a backdoor, the Window is always open.
Somebody has already written here exactly what I thought…