14 DAY TRIAL // Documents that got leaked a few days ago revealed that the Germany government has been advised by the local agencies to avoid deploying Windows 8 on its computers because the new operating system comes with a backdoor that would allow either Microsoft or the NSA to get instant access to stored data.
According to these claims, the backdoor could be exploited on Windows 8 machines with a Trusted Platform Module (TPM) chip, so Windows 7 would be a much safer alternative that should be good to go until at least 2020.
Microsoft has finally responded to these accusations, saying that Windows 8 is as safe as it could be, and all concerns regarding the TPM chip are “addressable.”
“Windows has made a fundamental bet on trustworthy hardware and TPM 2.0 is a key component. Based in no small part on lessons learned in the TPM 1.2 timeframe, TPM 2.0 is designed to be on by default with no user interaction required,” the company said in a statement for V3.
“Since most users accept defaults, requiring the user to enable the TPM will lead to IT users being less secure by default and increase the risk that their privacy will be violated. We believe that government policies promoting this result are ill-advised.
“It is also important to note that any user concerns about TPM 2.0 are addressable. The first concern, generally expressed as 'lack of user control,' is not correct as OEMs have the ability to turn off the TPM in x86 machines; thus, purchasers can purchase machines with TPMs disabled (of course, they will also be unable to utilize the security features enabled by the technology).”
This isn’t the first time Microsoft is accused of spying on its users, as previous evidence coming from the PRISM saga revealed that the tech giant somehow hands over private user details to US governments.
The company has always been quick to deny all accusations, explaining that it only provides personal information based on federal requests and no US intelligence agencies are provided with backdoor access to user accounts.