Amid criticism that the CrowdStrike issue wouldn't have happened with Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AAPL) macOS, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) has clarified that a prior agreement with the European Commission it is legally unable to adopt the same security measures as Cupertino.
What Happened: Following the CrowdStrike incident, Satya Nadella-led company's spokesperson explained that as part of this agreement, Microsoft committed to providing security software makers with the same level of access to Windows as it has.
This is far unlike what Apple is able to do with macOS, where it does not have to adhere to these restrictions. As a result, privileged access to a very critical component of the operating system – the kernel – is off-limits to third-party software makers.
Microsoft's Chief Communications Officer, Frank X Shaw, highlighted this in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
from the article: A Microsoft spokesman said it cannot legally wall off its operating system in the same way Apple does because of an understanding it reached with the European Commission following a complaint. In 2009, Microsoft agreed it would give makers of security software...
— Frank X. Shaw (@fxshaw) July 21, 2024
Microsoft's agreement with the European Commission states that it is obligated to provide application programming interfaces (APIs) to security software makers with the same privileges as the Windows maker.
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On the other hand, Apple is not bound by these restrictions. In fact, in 2020, the company took away kernel-level access because they are not "as secure or reliable" as their modern alternatives.
Why It Matters: This revelation comes in the wake of a series of technical issues that have plagued Microsoft.
A defective update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWD) caused Windows PCs worldwide to crash, displaying the infamous Blue Screen of Death (BSOD.)
This incident coincided with a widespread outage of Microsoft's cloud services, which disrupted the operations of banks, airlines, and broadcasters globally.
The faulty update from CrowdStrike was later criticized by a leading U.S. cybersecurity official as a "serious mistake" with significant impacts on critical infrastructure operations worldwide.
The issue also drew the ire of Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk, who blasted Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella for the disruption caused to the global automotive supply chain.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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