It should come as no surprise.... (AP, 14 April) Microsoft Corporation engineers included a secret password in Internet software that could be used to gain illegal access to hundreds of thousands of Web sites, The Wall Street Journal reported today. The rogue computer code was discovered in a three-year-old piece of software by two security experts, the newspaper said. Steve Lipner, who manages the company's security-response center, described such a backdoor password as ``absolutely against our policy'' and a firing offense for the as-yet unidentified employees. There have been no reports of site access through the code, but the affected software is believed to be used by many Web sites. The file, called ``dvwssr.dll'' is installed on Microsoft's Internet-server software with Frontpage 98 extensions. A hacker may be able to gain access to key Web site management files, which could in turn provide a road map to such things as customer credit card numbers, The Journal reported. IMPORTANT NOTICE: If you are not using HushMail, this message could have been read easily by the many people who have access to your open personal email messages. Get your FREE, totally secure email address at http://www.hushmail.com.
