This weeks MSDN Flash Leaked on the Web!
I don't normally leak the MSDN Flash on my blog before I send it out but IMO this editorial is too important to miss...
Why is it that IT Professionals take security more seriously than developers?
I've already talked extensively about the Security Seminar that we are hosting in Auckland next Friday. I was disappointed when I looked at the registrations this morning and saw that IT pro registrations outweighed developer registrations currently by more than 5:1!
Who knows Michael Howard? Author of Writing Secure Code, Second Edition and more recently author of 19 Deadly Sins of Software Security. Oh did I mention Michael is a Microsoft New Zealand expat? Who has been to the Microsoft Security Developer Center? Who attended Rick Samona's spot the bug session at last years Tech.Ed in New Zealand.
I don't want to scare you into submission but have you been following the high profile software security breaches that have been in the news in the last month? And yes two of these articles are New Zealand based!
Who has heard of User Account Control in Windows Vista? What about our new article on InfoCard? Who has read the UAC developer whitepaper? Who watched the "Windows Vista: User Account Protection – Securing Your Application with Least Privilege Administration" video from PDC?
Moving forward even if you are working as a member of the local Administrators group in Windows Vista you will be running with a LUA token... yup the “LUA Abby” persona is there whether you like it or not and we're betting on security conscious users not turning it off or following a complicated work around.
What does all this mean for you? It means that if your application requires Administrator privileges to run today then your application may require updates to run on Windows Vista or otherwise it will just be very annoying for your customers to use!
But of course you knew all stuff already didn't you?
If not... your call to action is to read all the material above and then come to the Security Seminar next Friday questions in hand! We need to change that 5:1 ratio!
Remember if you like this info and want to get it every two weeks directly to your inbox Sign Up for the New Zealand MSDN Flash.
Other gems from the upcoming MSDN Flash...
Take the beta version of one or more of the following developer exams and you'll be automatically entered to win one of two Windows Mobile Smartphones and one of ten Microsoft Laser Desktop 6000 Keyboards. Plus, you'll get a free exam voucher for taking and passing an exam.
71-547 PRO: Designing and Developing Web-based Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework
71-548 PRO: Designing and Developing Windows-based Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework
71-549 PRO: Designing and Developing Enterprise Applications by Using the Microsoft .NET Framework
More New Developer Certification Exams Released
Exam 70-536: TS: Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0 - Application Development Foundation
Exam 70-443: PRO: Designing a Database Server Infrastructure by Using Microsoft SQL Server 2005
And if you sit an exam remember the second shot campaign.
Also joining our Virtual Labs family... Windows Communication Foundation Virtual Lab Series & Visual Studio Team System Virtual Labs
Tags: MSDN Flash, Security Seminar, Microsoft Security Developer Center, Microsoft Certification Exams, New Zealand
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
Comments
- Anonymous
March 08, 2006
Excellent point Nigel - One other fact worth pointing out is *70% of all security attacks occur at the application layer -Meaning the IT Pro's are keeping up their end by hardening the network and servers and it is >we< developers are dropping the ball!
*Gartner Research - Anonymous
March 08, 2006
The comment has been removed - Anonymous
March 09, 2006
The comment has been removed