Q & A: Microsoft Welcomes Delaware as First State to Join the New Security Cooperation Program

Q & A: Microsoft Welcomes Delaware as First State to Join the New Security Cooperation Program: "Microsoft Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates has announced the Security Cooperation Program, a global initiative that provides a structured way for governments and Microsoft to engage in cooperative security activities related to computer incident response, attack mitigation, and citizen outreach.
Gates said Microsoft developed the Security Cooperation Program, which he announced this week at the company's 2005 European Government Leaders' Forum in Prague, Czech Republic, in response to requests from its government customers for increased project collaboration and information sharing. This new initiative builds on Microsoft's ongoing commitment to provide targeted IT security solutions that meet the unique needs of national, state, provincial and local government organizations worldwide.
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The Government Security Program provides national governments with access to Windows and Office source code, and addresses issues related to the security of Microsoft products. Microsoft is currently working with 35 national government representatives who are responsible for establishing IT policies and standards in their countries, and who make IT purchasing decisions.
Both the security mobilization effort and the new Security Cooperation Program are open to a broader range of government representatives, including those from states, provinces and local governments. The security mobilization effort focuses on the secure deployment of Microsoft products, and it involves proactive and cooperative engagement between Microsoft and IT professionals and developers in government agencies that manage and maintain their own IT infrastructure.
Building on the success of the Government Security Program and the security mobilization effort, the Security Cooperation Program focuses on creating mutually beneficial relationships and cooperative security activities in the areas of computer incident response, attack mitigation, and citizen outreach. The goal of the Security Cooperation Program is to help governments address threats to national security, economic strength, and public safety more efficiently and effectively through cooperative projects and information sharing. Membership may include any government agency involved in incident response or public outreach for the protection of critical infrastructures, whether they reside in the government itself or in the country, state, or other government service area as a whole."