Microsoft have demonstrated applications running on Palladium, which is now known as Microsoft"s Next-Generation Secure Computing Base. The demo was on a prototype system, with applications running to show the new security features.
This is a milestone as it is the first public demo of the system, and Microsoft hopes NGSCB will eventually be the key to securing corporate customers. Sceptics are claiming the technology will result in users having less control of their systems and Microsoft tightening their grip on the market.
There are to be 16 hours at the conference dedicated to Microsoft"s Next-Generation Secure Computing Base. The technology will involve "process isolation" (which protects applications), "sealed storage" (data protection/security), "secure path" (USB data/video encryption) and "attestation" (which allows a snapshot to be taken of the "key characteristics that will define the integrity of the PC").
One of the demos featured a program grabbing text from notepad, then failing to do so on a secure application. Another took a trusted file from one PC running a trusted application to another PC where they then altered it, they then showed that the file could not be opened on the trusted application on the first PC.