Security Vendor Gets Past Microsoft PatchGuard

PatchGuard, the technology developed in the upcoming Windows Vista operating system designed to protect access to the kernel on 64-bit systems, has been the source of controversy for a few weeks now. Security vendors Symantec and McAfee have been vocal about their opposition to the approach, which also locks the ability for their products to access the kernel. Under threat of EU sanctions, Microsoft has agreed to make some changes that will allow acccess. In the meantime, a different vendor, Authenticum, has developed a workaround that gets past the PatchGuard protection. Microsoft has criticized Authenticum and plans to change PatchGuard to block the workaround.