German agency warns about Windows 8 use for federal systems

An agency of the Germany government has issued a vague warning about using Windows 8, claiming that the the combination of the OS and PCs with TPM 2.0 chips could lead to a "loss of control".

Microsoft has promoted Windows 8 in the past as the most secure version of the OS that has ever been released and the upcoming launch of Windows 8.1 is supposed to include even more security improvements. However, an agency of the German government has now pushed a panic button, claiming that the use of Windows 8 could be risky for other government groups and infrastructure operators.

Reuters reports that Germany's Federal Office for Information Security issued a statement today saying that the combination of Windows 8 with PCs that have a Trusted Platform Module 2.0 chip inside could lead to "a loss of control" with both Windows 8 and the hardware. The BSI added, "The new mechanisms in use can also be used for sabotage by third parties. These risks need to be addressed."

Unfortunately, the statement from the BSI does not state how "a loss of control" would happen with Windows 8 and TPM 2.0. Microsoft did not comment directly on the BSI's security claims but did say that PC makers can disable the TPM chip so that Windows 8 computers can ship without the hardware enabled. The Trusted Computing Group, the organization that came up with TPM, also declined to comment on the BSI statement.

Source: Reuters | Image via Microsoft