Microsoft is calling the effort its war on hostile code. The next round of features will come with Whistler, the codename for the next generation of Windows 2000 Servers, and in Windows XP, the next desktop version of the operating system. Microsoft is adding a policy engine called Software Restriction Policies to both the server and desktop versions of Windows 2000 that will scrutinize mobile code that attempts to run on a user's machine. Mobile code is code that is delivered to a desktop or server from the Internet or e-mail and attempts to run on the local machine. Active Directory will play a key role in creating, storing and distributing the policies.
Administrators can designate trusted sources for code and scripts.
For managed code that relies on Microsoft's .Net Common Language Runtime engine, administrators can configure the policies to allow the code to run on the desktop but not access any systems for which the user has privileges. For example, the desktop could not be used as a funnel for access to databases or e-mail servers. In the area of PKI, a security system of digital certificates and signatures, Microsoft is adding an auto-enroll feature to Whistler that marries PKI and smart cards. When a user first logs on, the system prompts that user to insert their smart card. A digital certificate is then burned onto the card.