Microsoft security chief defends EAI security record

Microsoft has hit back at concerns that EAI (Enterprise Application Integration) projects will increase security risks for public sector customers.

The company's chief security officer in the UK has said that despite growing concerns and paranoia over potential security issues relating to the use of technology in the health sector and other parts of the public sector, it has not seen a slowdown in the uptake of projects.

The company's EAI software is called biztalk - a messaging platform that can integrate separate systems, for instance information held at a GP's surgery and information of social services and hospital treatment and deliver it via a web-based portal.

However, Marcus Robinson, partner at Accenture, said: "The issue of security is made worse through EAI because it opens up more access points to an organisation."

Tony Blair has a vision of "joined-up" government with a target for completion set at 2005.

John Howarth, councillor for Reading borough council and lead member of its e-government committee, said there are concerns that this objective will not be hit because organisations within public sector are inherently resistant to change.

Howarth told silicon.com: "We need a sense of leadership to drive through these e-visions."

But Stuart Okin, Microsoft's security boss claimed that the increased paranoia over the safety of citizen's data is actually good news for public sector projects. It is even, he argued, having a "positive effect" because it is raising awareness.

Okin told silicon.com: "Healthy fear is a good thing."

He also hit back at more general concerns over the software giant's security issues of late. "Security is our number one remit. However it is up to customers to make sure the systems they utilise are as secure as possible," he added.