"Do you trust Microsoft?" Yes and no, you say

Microsoft has admitted responsibility for some of the worst virus outbreaks - such as Slammer - but added a mighty caveat, saying its blame is nothing compared to that of the "criminal" who writes the virus in the first place.

Speaking at the Microsoft's IT Forum event in Copenhagen, Scott Charney, chief strategist for Microsoft's Trustworthy Computing initiative, said when a virus hits, the finger of blame "should always be pointed at the criminal".

But he did concede there have been occasions when some blame aimed at Microsoft has been justified.

Slammer exploited a vulnerability for which Microsoft had issued a patch several months before but had not issued an installer pack for.

"People said 'It should have been easier'. That's fair criticism," Charney added.

While the Trustworthy Computing initiative was created to shore up Microsoft's battered reputation on security, the move didn't win favour with everyone back at headquarters.

Charney said: "Microsoft, historically, has been decentralised. As far as improving process, it was warmly received, but there was concern from people on day one... people [worried] 'What happened to our freedom?' It wasn't popular with everyone."

So, if Microsoft's own staff had doubts, it's little wonder the reception in the marketplace has been at times frosty.

Charney said: "If you say 'Do you trust Microsoft?', you get some yeses, and a bunch of noes - the jury's still out. The [perception] is changing but there is a way to go."

Automation, in particular, has helped in the virus fight, with Microsoft taking over more responsibility for patching, Charney said, with tools such as Automatic Update services, aimed at corporate customers.

However, while Microsoft has been pushing its security efforts with high profile releases such as XP SP2, users' fondness for older software is still holding back the dream of secure computing.

"The most recent stuff [software] is more secure," Charney said, "but people aren't using it - they haven't migrated yet."