IP: German armed forces ban MS software, citing NSA snooping

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> From: "the terminal of Geoff Goodfellow" <geoff () iconia com>
> To: "Dave E-mail Pamphleteer Farber" <farber () cis upenn edu>
> Subject: German armed forces ban MS software, citing NSA snooping
> Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 11:02:37 -0800
>
>
> German armed forces ban MS software, citing NSA snooping
> By: John Lettice
> The Register
> Posted: 17/03/2001 at 18:59 GMT
>
> The German foreign office and Bundeswehr are pulling the plugs on Microsoft
> software, citing security concerns, according to the German news magazine
> Der Spiegel. Spiegel claims that German security authorities suspect that
> the US National Security Agency (NSA) has 'back door' access to Microsoft
> source code, and can therefore easily read the Federal Republic's deepest
> secrets.
>
> The Bundeswehr will no longer use American software (we surmise this
> includes Larry and Scott as well) on computers used in sensitive areas. The
> German foreign office has meanwhile put plans for videoconferencing with its
> overseas embassies on hold, for similar reasons. Under secretary of state
> Gunter Pleuger is said by Spiegel to have discovered that "for technical
> reasons" the satellite service that was to be used was routed via Denver,
> Colorado.
>
> According to a colleague of Pleuger's this meant that the German foreign
> services "might as well hold our conferences directly in Langley." We're not
> entirely sure whose interesting video conferencing via satellite service has
> a vital groundstation in Denver, but we note that Pleuger seems to have
> gleaned this information from a presentation held earlier this month in
> Berlin by, er, Deutsche Telekom.
>
> Which just happens, along with Siemens, to have picked up the gig. The two
> companies have supplanted Microsoft (and anything else American) and will be
> producing a secure, home-grown system that the German military can be
> confident in.
>
> http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/4/17679.html
>
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> geoff.goodfellow () iconia com, Prague CZ * tel/mobil +420 (0)603 706 558
> "success is getting what you want & happiness is wanting what you get"
> http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/01/biztech/articles/17drop.html



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