74
Microsoft Terminates accounts for Veracrypt, Wireguard devs (www.pcmag.com)
submitted 5 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.ml
6 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

This affects their ability to sign new device drivers on Windows if they want to create updated versions. Without signed device drivers the software will not work.

No explanation was given. Some think it may be a bug or AI tool that isn't working right. But the NSA really hates both of these tools.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 14 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Hanselman pointed to a Microsoft blog post noting that, starting in October, the company began requiring "mandatory account verification for all partners in the Windows Hardware Program," which also covers certifying software drivers. Last month, the company updated the post to say: "Accounts that did not successfully complete account verification and received a Rejected verification status have been suspended from the Windows Hardware Program, and submissions from these accounts are no longer permitted."

So they didn't hand over their blood and urine samples to Microsoft so they don't get to be developers anymore

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
    •
  • [–] [S] 7 points 5 months ago*

    Except it notes that the wireguard dev definitely complied with that so while Microslop might be hiding behind that fiction it is just a fiction and not the real cause.

    I'm suspicious if it isn't because the US has discovered something exploitable in both wireguard and veracrypt and want to prevent it being patched while they (the US) unleash it against their enemies over a prolonged period. That or just crushing privacy.

    Linux stay winning I guess as this would be the first case in history where Microsoft has used its position as gatekeeper to prevent Windows users from running software they want to run in this manner. Even worse you have to disable driver signature enforcement system-wide to bypass it, it's more locked down than Apple which can grant per application gate-keeper exemptions. It's just up until now Microsoft handed out driver signing like candy.

    It's interesting both of these are also tools likely be targeted by the "child safety" panic being shopped around to enact ID laws. Encryption without a backdoor is something they really hate whether it's for data in transit or at rest.

    One last thought is that Microsoft mentioned kicking third parties out of the kernel after the Crowdstrike fiasco where they borked a ton of airline computers due to awful practices. Many hoped it would mean kicking anti-cheat out of the kernel but it would be very Microsoft to start with kicking privacy tools out instead and simply insist that using Windows bitlocker is enough and Windows VPN settings are adequate and therefore these software needn't be in the kernel.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent