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Operating System Specific Discussions => Other Operating Systems => Topic started by: nicholas on August 22, 2013, 09:12:00 PM

Title: German Government Warns Windows 8 Is an Unacceptable Security Risk
Post by: nicholas on August 22, 2013, 09:12:00 PM
Quote
Die Zeit has access to leaked documents from the German government warning that Windows 8 is an unacceptable security risk for sensitive workloads. The story is written in German here, but automatic translators (such as Google Translate) do a readable job. Particularly of concern is the inability to opt out of TPM 2.0 usage.


Oh dear. (http://slashdot.org/story/190609)
Title: Re: German Government Warns Windows 8 Is an Unacceptable Security Risk
Post by: Oldsmobile_Mike on August 22, 2013, 10:19:09 PM
All my business-class machines already have TPM modules built into them.  It's my choice whether to enable these or not from within the BIOS, but I've never seen a home machine with a TPM module.  If I'm reading this article correctly, it's saying that in the future the TPM module will no longer be possible to turn off, but are they saying that every device will soon have one built-in?  That's just an added expense for manufacturers, why would they put it if they don't have to?  Win8 runs already without it, so is Microsoft somehow dictating to hardware vendors that they need to include this additional hardware in the future?
Title: Re: German Government Warns Windows 8 Is an Unacceptable Security Risk
Post by: nicholas on August 22, 2013, 10:42:14 PM
I think a native German speaker might need to explain it better but as far as I could tell they deem the next version of TPM a risk because it can't be switched off  gives MS total remote access and control over the machine.
Title: Re: German Government Warns Windows 8 Is an Unacceptable Security Risk
Post by: commodorejohn on August 22, 2013, 10:59:32 PM
TPM was always a scam to give third parties control over users' computers. Hope more agencies put their foot down on this nonsense.
Title: Re: German Government Warns Windows 8 Is an Unacceptable Security Risk
Post by: Oldsmobile_Mike on August 22, 2013, 11:00:18 PM
Quote from: nicholas;745878
I think a native German speaker might need to explain it better but as far as I could tell they deem the next version of TPM a risk because it can't be switched off  gives MS total remote access and control over the machine.


What percentage of new machines will actually be sold with a TPM module, is what I'm wondering?  Although I hate Win8 just as much as the next guy and love to see it bashed in the press, this just sounds like more FUD unless they mandate it be built into every new machine sold.
Title: Re: German Government Warns Windows 8 Is an Unacceptable Security Risk
Post by: nicholas on August 22, 2013, 11:23:17 PM
Quote from: Oldsmobile_Mike;745884
What percentage of new machines will actually be sold with a TPM module, is what I'm wondering?  Although I hate Win8 just as much as the next guy and love to see it bashed in the press, this just sounds like more FUD unless they mandate it be built into every new machine sold.


Any machine that wants to use the "Designed for Windows" logo I think. Which is probably most of them.