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I’m attending a Microsoft Forefront Security course and it was interesting to hear the analogy that the instructor used to describe how people perceive Microsoft and security when used in the same sentence… he referred to it as the Škoda badge problem – i.e. that everyone knows a modern Škoda is a well engineered car built on a trusted Volkwagen platform but Škoda is still struggling to discard its image as a producer of cheap eastern-European cars. Similarly, Microsoft has some excellent security products (e.g. ISA Server) but the perception is that they are from Microsoft so they can’t be secure.
very true, this always amazed me as well, i have worked with Antivirus solutions now for the past 8 years mainly McAfee and Norton/Symantec and it has always been the case when you mention that MS is producing a spyware program or an AV solution or anything along those lines the reaction is generally one of upturned noses and funny faces, declaring the are you mad for even suggesting such a thing reaction :)