Windows Genuine Advantage Brouhaha

Posted by Vic Laurie
June 12, 2006

Claiming it to be a critical update, Microsoft has foisted a beta version of its anti-piracy software on people without telling them by making it part of the automatic security update done once a month. It seems to be causing a lot of trouble and Ed Bott has a blog Microsoft presses the Stupid button. In it he notes

I’m not all that concerned with the hysteria over the revelation that this app “phones home” to Microsoft. These days, I fully expect that any program I install will have a mechanism for updating itself or accessing help content online. As long as those mechanisms for online access are disclosed during installation and the actual update process isn’t malicious, careless, or deceptive, I have no problem.

No, the problem with Microsoft’s whole WGA program boils down to a simple rule: Do not mess with security. This episode violates that rule in three incredibly stupid ways.

Tomorrow is the monthly update. Be careful what gets downloaded.

Computer management, Software

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