I met up with my colleague, Don Armstrong, the person in Microsoft that leads our efforts around the Government Security Program (GSP).

"The GSP fosters partnerships between governments and Microsoft based on collaboration, information exchange, and a mutual trust fortified through ongoing interaction. Representatives of participating government agencies are invited to visit Microsoft development facilities to review Windows and Office source-code development, testing, and deployment processes. In addition, these representatives have the opportunity to discuss existing and potential projects with Microsoft security experts and interact with Microsoft staff."

A common misperception with the program is that it is ALL about access to our source code for Windows and Office, but as Don outlines, there is much more to it than this.  Topics that Don and I covered included:

• What is the GSP all about?
• Who is eligible for the GSP?
• Useful deliverables that have spawned from the GSP
• What do customers get if they sign a partnership with us?

One of the most useful things that is now available to the public, and which came directly out of GSP, is the Windows Vista Security Guide, which has been very well received by the IT community at large.

Enjoy the video!