Microsoft To Offer Corporate Users Better Security

Microsoft has reached a deal with a leading security firm that could give corporate users the ability to tighten up their defenses. The benefits could even extend to Windows home users.

The deal has been made with EMC Corporation, a firm which produces the data storage system used by many large organisations. Microsoft has signed a deal with EMC's security division to licence the forthcoming DLP suite, a package designed to prevent data loss.

The package will be used in Microsoft's server products. It allows users to find and monitor data across one or more networks and control who is able to access or modify the data. The deal will reduce the need for Microsoft customers to buy the product separately and go through the hassle of making sure it works with a particular server.

The package's main selling point is that it does a particularly smart job of organising data and understanding how documents relate to one another. For example, many corporations have limited control of their data because they can only have one set of security rules for each physical device (such as a server). The DLP technology allows separate rules for different types of data, regardless of where they are stored. A company using it might therefore choose to put tighter controls on the financial data of each of its product departments while leaving other information more accessible. (Source: theregister.co.uk)

There's some speculation Microsoft might want to build the technology directly into Microsoft Office or even into Windows itself. That could prove useful as many firms let employees share Microsoft Office documents with one another through a corporate network.

Finally, the system will also allow more central control over security settings. This could mean senior IT staff or company management will be able to decide how potentially sensitive documents are controlled and protected rather than leaving it down to the people creating the document. (Source: cnet.com)