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Julie Bort

Microsoft security attempts to forklift its PR image

By Microsoft Subnet on Wed, 06/27/07 - 11:03am.

The Microsoft security team wants the world to think of them as the good-guys. Well, you can hardly blame there there. One of their ideas is better public relations. While users clench their jaws in frustration over the effort it takes to keep Microsoft products patched -- until the next vulnerability is found -- the security team has been thinking what it really, REALLY needs is a new image.

 "`We had a robotic image on a lot of our awareness campaign materials last year, and it portrayed a very stern, standoffish approach to the team,'" said Pete Boden senior director for MSN and Windows Live security at Microsoft in part three of a four-part series on Web security from CNET News. ...

"Things are better now. Boden's department is engaged in an ongoing marketing campaign within the company, which includes hosting regular happy hours with local brews and chips and salsa. `Redhook, Mac and Jack's, we're not short on beer here in the Northwest,' Boden said."

In all fairness, the team hasn't just been swilling beer with hits co-workers, the story reports. Other initiatives include the famed "Blue Hat" day, where hackers are invited to campus to break Microsoft products in front of the folks that built them. 

Does the Microsoft Security team need a new image? What ideas do you have for them to improve it?

About The Microsoft Update

Julie BortJulie Bort is the editor of Microsoft Subnet and Network World's Online Community Editor. She also writes the Open Source Subnet blog and is the editor responsible for the Cisco Subnet and Open Source Subnet web sites. If you have an idea for a blog, or a news tip on Microsoft, Cisco or Open Source technologies, contact her at jbort@nww.com, 970-482-6454 or follow Julie on Twitter @Julie188.

The Microsoft Subnet blog is the official blog of the Network World's Microsoft Subnet community. Microsoft Subnet is the independent voice of Microsoft customers and is your gateway to daily Microsoft news, blogs, opinion, books, prize giveaways and more. Visit the Microsoft Subnet index page daily, and while you are there, subscribe to the Microsoft newsletter.

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