Security and privacy attacks have evolved and will continue to do so with the advance of technology. In response, Microsoft stated that security solutions must be more comprehensive and integrated, while providing a simplified experience for users and IT professionals. Further, information must be protected at all times - when it is created; while it resides on a computer, server or device, and when it moves from one location to another. Software applications and operating systems must also be designed and built with security in mind to ensure that systems are resilient from attack.

Microsoft touted today's release of the public beta for Forefront Server Security Management Console, and adoption of Extended Validation SSL Certificates for Internet Explorer 7, as examples of its investments to increase customer protection.

The Forefront line of business security products, launched in June 2006, provides customers with protection across their deployed infrastructure, whether on the client, the server or the edge of the network. According to Microsoft, Forefront Server Security Management Console will provide a centralized, Web-based management solution for on-site or remote administration of Microsoft messaging and collaboration security solutions, including Forefront Security for Exchange Server, Forefront Security for SharePoint, and former versions of Microsoft Antigen products.

As announced by Microsoft today, it has enabled support for Extended Validation (EV) SSL Certificates in Internet Explorer 7, and is working with leading certification authorities to provide a better mechanism to verify a web site owner?s identity, which will thus help boost customer confidence in online transactions. Internet Explorer 7 will be the first browser to fully support EV Certificates, the next generation of the popular SSL certificates that are widely used today. With the support of EV Certificates, Internet Explorer 7 will turn the background of the address bar green when a customer visits a site with a valid EV Certificate, and customers will also be alerted of encrypted communications and provide users with more information about who they are sharing sensitive data with. Twelve certificate authorities, including Verisign, Cybertrust and Endtrust, are already issuing EV Certificates.

Microsoft also announced the addition of four new data providers to the Microsoft Phishing Filter Service. Australian Computer Emergency Response Team (AusCERT), BrandProtect, My Space.com and NetCraft will each be included as data feeds into the Phishing Filter service, and will contribute their respective sets of Internet Explorer and Firefox toolbar anti-phishing data sources. These new providers join Microsoft?s current anti-phishing data providers, including Cyveillance, Digital Resolve, Internet Identity, Mark Monitor and RSA, the Security Division of EMC. As part of Internet Explorer 7, which has had more than 100 million downloads since its launch, the Phishing Filter has helped protect people from Web fraud and identity theft by blocking over 10 million attempts to visit known phishing sites at a current rate of over 1 million blocks a week.

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