Microsoft Releases Internal Security Tools, Methods
The network can advise ISVs and enterprises on ways to test their own internally developed software for coding problems. The SDL Pro Network will start a pilot phase in November, Lipner said. Those companies will get paid through either a classic consulting fee or bill by a subscription service, Lipner said.
"We believe they are going to prove to be a great resource for organizations outside of Microsoft that want to move forward with the SDL," Lipner said.
Most third-party Windows software is not written using state-of-the-art security practices said Jan Muenther, [cq] CTO with SDL Pro Network member n.runs. "While Microsoft themselves have been putting a lot of effort into securing their own code, sometimes the code that they get from third parties does not match the same quality level," he said.
Muenther believes that these new SDL programs could not only beef up the quality of Microsoft's partners' code, but it could also draw some attention to Microsoft's own security practices too. "They want to spread the word a little bit," he said.
Robert McMillan in San Francisco contributed to this story.
