Microsoft in a 'tizzy' over open documents

Bruce Schneier has accused Microsoft of spreading suggestions that ODF is not secure

A leading security expert has admonished Microsoft for allegedly spreading rumours about the Open Document Format (ODF). 

In his Cryptogram newsletter Bruce Schneier lambasts the Redmond giant for seeking to muddy the waters by spreading suggestions that the ODF is not secure in order to boost its own Open XML software. 

"With its proprietary Office document format Microsoft is spreading rumours that ODF is somehow less secure. This is from the company that allows Office documents to embed arbitrary Visual Basic programs," said Schneier.

"This whole thing has heated up because the State of Massachusetts recently required public records to be held in ODF, which has put Microsoft into a bit of a tizzy."

The ODF is an attempt to make a universally readable document format. Concerns have been raised over 'corporate Alzheimer's', where documents are lost because they can no longer be read by current word processing software.

IBM is a keen supporter of ODF, as is Sun Microsystems which recently complained about the war of words that has broken out with Microsoft.

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