The National Security Agency helped Microsoft harden Windows 7 against
attacks and is providing similar assistance to Apple, Sun Microsystems and Red
Hat too, an agency official said.
The admission came in prepared remarks delivered Tuesday by Richard Schaeffer,
the NSA's information assurance director, at a hearing before the Senate's
Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security.
"Working in partnership with Microsoft and elements of the DoD, NSA leveraged
our unique expertise and operational knowledge of system threats and
vulnerabilities to enhance Microsoft's operating system security guide without
constraining the user's ability to perform their everyday tasks, whether those
tasks are being performed in the public or private sector," Schaeffer stated.
