Thread: Microsoft's UAC Revamp May Just be Cosmetic

EVEN AS ENTHUSIASTS and tech media have been dis¬cussing Microsoft's statement that the controversial security feature in Vista, User Access Control would see a revamp in Windows 7, a developer described the change as nothing more than "lipstick".

BeyondTrust, which touts its Privilege Manager soft¬ware as a way for enterprises to sidestep Vista's User Account Control (UAC) while still locking. down PCs, took exception to Microsoft's plans to revamp the feature in its upcoming operating system. BeyondTrust 's CEO, John Moyer, said UAC modification "do not solve the major issue for enterprises". He argued that Microsoft hasn't taken UAC's problems head on. "Windows 7 promises cosmetic changes to reduce UAC prompts, but
it does nothing to fix the underlying security and usability problems for businesses," he said. most users had hoped for, after all. "Just like Vista's UAC, Windows 7 keeps end users in charge of the security decision of what applications to run with administrative privileges.



"The slider control is a cool feature but it's designed for administrators and is a benefit only to administrators. They've done nothing to improve the standard user experience, they've only improved the messaging ofUAC." Earlier this year, the company tagged the feature as one of five it said contributed to Vista's slow adoption. At the time, Microsoft said UAC had received a "bad rap" and was "misunderstood" .