Microsoft heeft vandaag toegegeven dat hackers hebben ingebroken in hun interne netwerk en onder andere toegang hebben gekregen tot de source code van Windows en Office. Het lijkt erop dat de hackers niet aan de source code hebben zitten knoeien, maar de mogelijkheid dat ze de source code hebben gekopieerd is erg reëel. Microsoft spreekt over een betreurenswaardige daad van industriële spionage en heeft de FBI ingeschakeld om de daders te achterhalen:
LONDON (CNNfn) - Microsoft Corp. admitted Friday that computer hackers broke into its internal network and gained access to blueprints of its coveted Windows and Office software, although the world's largest software maker said it has found no damage resulting from the "industrial espionage" so far.
Redmond, Wash.-based Microsoft (MSFT: Research, Estimates) is working with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation to track down the culprits while buckling down its security systems to prevent a recurrence of such incidents, said spokesman Rick Miller. He said the hackers' motive is not yet known.
[...] Attempted break-ins are common at Microsoft, Miller said, adding that the recent incident has caused Microsoft to put in place an "aggressive plan to protect its internal networks". The company, as the world's leading software maker, has long been a victim of piracy -the illegal copying of its products.
According to the Journal, security employees at Microsoft discovered that passwords used to transfer the source code behind its software were being sent from the company's computer network in Redmond to an e-mail account in St. Petersburg, Russia. The electronic intruders are believed to have had access to the codes for three months, the paper said.