Microsoft Gives Vista Backdoor Keys To The Police

April 29, 2008 – 12:29 PM

It’s long been assumed that Microsoft has built in various “backdoors” for law enforcement to get around its own security, but now reader Kevin Stapp writes in to let us know that the company has also been literally handing out the keys to law enforcement. Apparently, they’re giving out special USB keys that simply get around Microsoft’s security, allowing the holder of the key to very quickly get forensic information (including internet surfing history), passwords and supposedly encrypted data off of a laptop. While you can understand why police like this, the very fact that the backdoor is there and that a bunch of these USB keys are out there pretty much guarantees that those with nefarious intent also have such keys. The second you build in such backdoors, no matter how noble the reason, you can rest assured that they will be used by criminals as well. No matter what, for those of you who didn’t already know it, now you have more evidence as to why trusting Microsoft’s “security” isn’t such a good idea.

Source: Techdirt