Gates: Computer Viruses Harder to Protect Against if Company Split

[William Knowles <wk () C4I ORG>]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGID8X25Z7C.html

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) - "Love Bugs" of the future could be harder to
protect against if Microsoft is split in two, company co-founder Bill
Gates writes in an essay published in this week's Time magazine.

New versions of the Windows operating system and Office applications
software that could offer protection from outside attacks would "be
much harder for computer users to obtain,"

Gates wrote in "Viewpoint." The issue hits newsstands Monday.

The Love Bug virus invaded computers across the world last week in an
e-mail carrying the subject line, "ILOVEYOU." The virus, which only
affected computers running on Microsoft's Windows operating system,
attacked the company's Outlook e-mail program and Internet Explorer
browser.

The front line of defense against such sophisticated viruses is a
continually evolving computer operating system that attracts the
efforts of eager software developers, Gates said.

That relationship would suffer because the Justice Department's
proposal for breaking up the company would result in fewer innovations
of Windows programs, he said.

[...]

AP-ES-05-07-00 1644EDT


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