U.S. National Security Agencies Said to Swap Data With Thousands of Firms
Holy shit.<p><pre><code>   Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), the world’s largest software company, provides 
   intelligence agencies with information about bugs in its popular software 
   before it publicly releases a fix, according to two people familiar with the 
   process. That information can be used to protect government computers and to 
   access the computers of terrorists or military foes.
</code></pre>
Microsoft gives US military hackers and the NSA zero days to go hack people with.<p>I think this helps explain Google's 7-day disclosure.  Also, <i>fuck microsoft</i>.  Running your mouth and trying to blackball people who don't give you 60 days while (presumably selling) those exploits to governments?  Just amazing.<p>Edit: here [1] is discussion of Tavis Ormandy / Google's new 7 day policy.  I really wonder if this was partially driven by eg Microsoft's abhorrent behavior.<p>[1] <a href="http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/30/4379004/google-to-make-critical-zero-day-exploits-public-after-7-days" rel="nofollow">http://www.theverge.com/2013/5/30/4379004/google-to-make-cri...</a>