Microsoft's anti-monopoly case breaks through Win10 or needs to strip trusted computing

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"For more than half a year, we have had several negotiations with Microsoft. We hope that Microsoft can achieve localization in accordance with China's laws and regulations, but the negotiations have yet to come to fruition." Shen Changxiang, the person in charge of the Microsoft Cyber ​​Security Review, said with a smile, " Every time the struggle is fierce, we must stick to the cyber security sovereignty, and Microsoft is not only a commercial company, but its decision-making also needs to be approved by the United States."

Our reporter Chen Baoliang reports from Beijing

The SAIC's anti-monopoly investigation against Microsoft has seen a new breakthrough. Recently, a number of experts interviewed by reporters called: "Microsoft's behavior of bundling the Trusted Computing Architecture in the operating system is suspected of violating the Anti-Monopoly Law. The Win 10 operating system should divest trusted computing."

Trusted Computing is a concept proposed by the FTCS (International Fault Tolerant Computing Conference) in the 1990s. It is a new computing model of active immunity that is both computational and protective. At present, more than 200 companies around the world are promoting the development of trusted computing. Microsoft launched the Trusted Computing (TwC) program in 2002 and bundled it in Vista, Win 8, and Win 10, but it was not bundled in XP and Win 7.

In fact, in the EU's antitrust investigation of Microsoft, "bundling" is the main performance of Microsoft's abuse of market dominance to obtain monopoly interests. However, because the EU anti-monopoly investigation is aimed at Microsoft's market behavior before 2000, the EU mainly penalized Microsoft's behavior of bundling browsers and anti-virus software, and the trusted computing from 2002 did not enter the survey list.

At present, China's trusted computing products are also mature on Microsoft's XP and Win 7 systems. "But Microsoft monopolizes the PC market. After Win 10 is bound to Microsoft's trusted computing, China's trusted computing industry will completely lose the opportunity to enter the market." Ni Guangnan, academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said in an interview: "We should ask Microsoft Providing a version of Win10 that stripped out trusted computing, and fined Microsoft in the same way as the EU before it was provided."

Moreover, Ni Guangnan emphasized that the review of bundled trusted computing should even be ranked in front of the behavior of bundling browsers and anti-virus software. "Because this not only affects the industry, it also seriously threatens China's network security."

Trusted computing dispute

"China's trusted computing was officially established in 1992 and began to be scaled. It has formed independent innovations in trusted computing platform password scheme, trusted platform control module, trusted motherboard, trusted basic support software, and trusted network connection. "In recent days, Shen Changxiang, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and an authoritative expert in the field of network security, said in an interview that trusted computing can achieve active defense of computer systems compared to traditional firewalls, intrusion detection, virus prevention and other passive defense network security systems. With features such as identification, status measurement, and secure storage, it can provide a higher level of security protection and support new information technologies such as cloud computing and the Internet of Things.

In 2014, more than 60 domestic enterprises such as China Electronic Information Industry Group, ZTE Corporation and Huasheng Tiancheng jointly launched the Zhongguancun Trusted Computing Industry Alliance to accelerate the ecological environment for the development of trusted computing.

At present, China's independent trusted computing has been applied in important systems such as the State Grid and CCTV information systems. Moreover, the use of China's trusted computer system for Windows XP, Win 7 operating system security hardening, has long achieved good results. The Windows operating system of the domestic government department is loaded with Trusted Computing Protection.

However, after Microsoft bundled trusted computing in Vista, Win 8, and Win 10 systems, domestic trusted computing products are no longer compatible with Microsoft operating systems. Shen Changxiang said: "According to Microsoft's current market position, if Win 10 is equipped with trusted computing and fully pushed open, the domestic trusted computing industry will be wiped out."

In fact, trusted computing is not a must-have feature of the operating system. In addition to Microsoft, various Linux operating systems and Apple MAC systems at home and abroad are not bundled with trusted computing. Moreover, Ni Guangnan told reporters: "Trusted technology can be widely deployed to many systems and devices, not limited to a scenario of PC operating system. Microsoft bundles its own trusted computing on Win10, which not only limits the entry of other trusted computing products. The rights to the PC operating system market are also not conducive to many companies extending trusted technology to a wider range of applications."

But as of press time, Microsoft has not responded to the reporter's interview request.

Microsoft localization?

It should be pointed out that the bundled trusted computing of Microsoft operating system not only affects the development of the domestic trusted computing industry, but also threatens China's network security strategy. Although it is uncertain whether the anti-monopoly investigation of the SAIC will make progress in the field of bundled trusted computing, the cybersecurity review of Microsoft Trusted Computing has already begun and is progressing to a critical moment.

"When Vista was equipped with trusted computing in 2006, we had a discussion." Shen Changxiang said that the conclusion was that the government procurement banned Vista. Later, Win 8, also equipped with trusted computing, was also banned in government procurement, while the unbound Win 7 system was included in the procurement catalog and accounted for more than half of the Chinese government procurement market.

"After the launch of Win 10, we had a detailed discussion with Microsoft. In terms of security, Win 10 is indeed more complete than Win 8, and we also hope to introduce Win 10 system, but only if it meets our laws, regulations and standards." Shen Changxiang said that Win 10 must comply with the provisions of China's "Electronic Signature Law" on identity authentication, as well as the provisions of the "Commercial Password Management Regulations" on password approval, but at present, Win 10 does not meet these two legal requirements, its password, signature The technical standards adopted do not meet the Chinese standards.


"For more than half a year, we have had several negotiations with Microsoft. We hope that Microsoft can achieve localization in accordance with China's laws and regulations, but the negotiations have yet to come to fruition." Shen Changxiang, the person in charge of the Microsoft Cyber ​​Security Review, said with a smile, " Every time the struggle is fierce, we must stick to the cyber security sovereignty, and Microsoft is not only a commercial company, but its decision-making also needs to be approved by the United States."

In fact, more than a decade ago, Microsoft was close to localization. In 2003, Microsoft and domestic companies established the China Information Security Product Evaluation and Certification Center source code viewing laboratory, and authorized the opening of the operating system to seven units including the Ministry of Public Security Third Research Institute, the National Information Security Infrastructure Research Center, and the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation. Source code and promise to develop a localized operating system.

Shen Changxiang recalled: "At the time, China invested a lot of manpower and material resources to do this. Finally, when the product was about to land, Microsoft said 'sorry, failed to pass the US government approval.' Finally, Microsoft only compensated millions. Things, a lot of our efforts have been lost."

"Now, Win 10 can cooperate with China's local trusted computing industry to achieve localization. This program is technically, commercially and legally feasible and win-win." Shen Changxiang said, "Now wait for Microsoft to pass the US government." Approval.