Be Careful! There is a Spy in your Windows

Andrew Fernández, the scientific director of the Cryptonym security company based in Morrisville, North California, U.S.A., last month publicised the results of his investigation into Micronet Crypt-API. This occurred in one of the last sessions of the cryptographic conference 'Advances in Cryptology, Crypto'99'' held in Santa Barbara, California. Fernández announced that his investigations revealed that all Windows 95/98 NT incorporated a door which permitted the all-powerful NSA (the National Security Agency which is the North American agency, for electronic espionage) to access throughout the world millions of computers when they are linked to Internet. This produced bewilderment amongst those present at the meeting (who according to sources were no more than a dozen people). Three weeks ago Fernández issued a press release which gave full details of his findings. The commotion which has subsequently arisen is monumental.

Weeks earlier he had come across another piece of information which had similar implications: Microsoft programmes contain a 'seal' which identifies the author of a file. If you buy a Microsoft programme and register it the registration number will be incorporated into all the files that you make (though this registration number will not be visible). If the Microsoft programme is not registered but if the hard disk of your computer has your number, or if on installation of your programme your number is put into it, this number will also appear in all the files you make.

From all this one may deduce that Bill Gates, the multi-millionaire proprietor of Microsoft and who is presented as a 'benefactor' and 'model' is the best collaborator that Yankee espionage has ever had in its entire history. There is sufficient reason to suppose that computers have strengthened the war machines of the great powers. But perhaps the Internet was not such a bright idea for the CIA and the Pentagon for it may not be possible that those enterprises who are pirating programmes have the same fidelity as Microsoft in safeguarding the 'secret doors' and 'personal seals'.

From: 'En Marcha', No. 1045, October 1999 (Quito, Ecuador), reprinted from No. 778 of the weekly 'Hoy' of the Revolutionary Communist Party of Argentina. Translated from the Spanish.

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