Microsoft has announced that it is to close its security mailing list temporarily for two days.
According to the Register, the 12 year-old email list offers news of security updates, and recipients will get their news from an RSS feed instead. An email said: “As of July 1, 2014, due to changing governmental policies concerning the issuance of automated electronic messaging, Microsoft is suspending the use of email notifications that announce [security bulletins and notifications].”
The suspension coincides with new Canadian anti-spam laws which also come in effect from today. Under the new laws, organisations must gain a user’s opt-in consent for communication such as mailing lists, or risk a $10 million fine.
However amid confusion around the shuttering, a Microsoft spokesperson told security blogger Brian Krebs that it has reviewed its processes, and will resume the security notifications on July 3rd, 2014.
Stephen Coty, chief security evangelist at Alert Logic, told IT Security Guru that he suspected that this was a factor of convenience versus a direct result of the Canadian anti-spam laws. “Most security professionals are plugged into social media to get the most up to date information vs waiting for an email from a provider,” he said.
Will Semple, VP of research and intelligence for Alert Logic, said: “Microsoft’s decision to suspend the security email distribution list and provide a RSS feed instead may well be as a pre-emptive change to accommodate the change in anti-spam laws in Canada. It would seem potentially as a sledgehammer to an egg solution for the rest of the distribution list’s global subscribers.
“While influenced by the Canadian law change, the decision could be a convenience for Microsoft to move forward in how i
t distributes security update information. The way that the information security professional consumes this type of micro update is more commonly twitter and RSS than email. The interesting question is do Microsoft believe the content is more reachable via RSS and Twitter than it is email?”
