In response to earlier Symantec and McAfee complaints and 2 months after a promise to deliver, Microsoft has issued a first draft of programming interfaces for kernel protection features in the 64-bit version of Windows Vista. The software giant believes that to maintain OS security it should not release, and has never before released, something of this importance, but because of antitrust concerns in Europe and Korea, the company had no choice. Microsoft stated that the new Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) will allow extended functionality of Vista’s 64-bit kernel.

Security companies have unregulated access in 32-bit versions. Nonetheless, in the 64-bit version of Vista PatchGuard protects the user from hackers. Security companies, however, insist that it blocks them out as well. Although the APIs are available to nonsecurity makers, Microsoft persists that the protection offered by PatchGuard will not be disabled or weakened by the APIs. So far, Symantec has acknowledged they have received the APIs but do not have an opinion while McAfee seems pleased with Microsoft’s effort. Final versions of the APIs are slated to be released with SP1 for Windows Vista, which Gartner expects in early 2008.

News source: c|net's News.com


There are 5 additional comments
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(3 replies) Quote this comment Reply to this comment #1 Posted by billyea on 21 Dec 2006 - 10:16
Symantec is never pleased with Microsoft if they can't get the home edition of Norton to slow down your computer properly.
Quote this comment #1.1 Posted by +Shadowdruid on 21 Dec 2006 - 10:26
Quote - billyea said @ #1
Symantec is never pleased with Microsoft if they can't get the home edition of Norton to slow down your computer properly.


Norton 2007 is actually a lot lower on system resources than previous versions...but im sure thats a bug and will be fixed soon

Symantec and mcafee are just too lazy to upgrade their software to work properly on vista, even though other smaller companies have managed to get it done easily, and demand microsoft to make their os less secure so that symantec and mcafee can sell more products.
Quote this comment #1.2 Posted by Andareed on 21 Dec 2006 - 13:18
They both already have products fully working with vista. The problem is that certain protection features won't work on the x64 version.
Quote this comment #1.3 Posted by chaosblade on 21 Dec 2006 - 16:09
Odd. About any other company besides McAfee and Symantec can make their products work fully on x64. Only they can't?
Quote this comment Reply to this comment #2 Posted by [bear] on 21 Dec 2006 - 16:58
Symantec wont ever cut Microsoft a break. Microsoft stepped up to the plate and gave them their freakin APIs. Symantec is never happy. Bitch Bitch Bitch that's all I hear..
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