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The debate of how Micrososoft was being partial by not releasing its Vista kernel to rival security companies has finally come to a rest as the Redmond-based company has finally released draft APIs to rival security firms.

Microsoft now develops security products for their own operating systems, companies like Symantec and McAfee complained that they were not being provided enough technology to develop quality products for the Vista operating system.

McAfee Critcises Microsoft Vista's PatchGuard in Open Letter

In October 2006, McAfee had published an open letter criticising Microsoft's proposed blocking of kernel modifications in Vista, in a feature called PatchGuard. Its main complaint is that anti-virus and intrusion prevention products need to patch into the kernel of the operating system in order to function effectively, and thus Microsoft is leaving users without an important tier of protection when they move to Vista. McAfee is echoing the sentiments of several security vendors. However Kaspersky Labs, Russia's leading IT security company, has become an unexpected supporter of Microsoft by announcing that it sees no change in Microsoft's policy of maintaining dialogue with third party security vendors.

In the open letter, McAfee chief executive George Samenuk said Microsoft has 'shut off' independent access to the Windows Vista kernel. His comments follow claims from Symantec that Microsoft had withheld information about APIs for the Windows Defender anti-spyware product. It claimed customers will be confused and that Microsoft was denying consumers freedom of choice.

Neither McAfee nor Symantec have formally complained to the European Commission. McAfee's letter claims Microsoft could be making computers less secure than they already are. It says "customers should recognise that Microsoft is being completely unrealistic if, by locking security companies out of the kernel, it thinks hackers won't crack Vista's kernel. In fact, they already have. What's more, few threats actually target the kernel they target programs or applications. Yet the unfettered access previously enjoyed by security providers has been a key part of keeping those programs and applications safe from hackers and malicious software. Total access for developers has meant better protection for customers."

Microsoft on the other hand, says it has supplied adequate documentation and support to partners, which should continue to work with PatchGuard. "The security threat landscape has evolved and Microsoft has to continue to evolve Windows to provide a safer, more secure computing experience," the company said.

Ben Fathi, Microsoft’s Windows security chief spoke about these latest releases, "We are delivering the first draft set of these new APIs for Windows Vista have been designed to help security and non-security ISVs develop software that extends the functionality of the Windows kernel on 64-bit systems, in a documented and supported manner, and without disabling or weakening the protection offered by Kernel Patch Protection."

Symantec spokesman Mike Bradshaw responded on this release from Microsoft, "Symantec has received the draft APIs regarding PatchGuard and is currently evaluating the information and awaiting additional information from Microsoft. Until that process is complete, we have nothing to add to the story."