This has been going on for years. It's a program that Microsoft created for passing along 0days to AV Vendors and companies so they could create detection mechanisms for it.
Nonetheless, it's significance increases in the light of the current NSA revelations.
After all, previously one could justify Microsoft's actions by claiming they were notifying the NSA of flaws in Windows so that the NSA could patch their systems ASAP. Now we would likely infer a more sinister justification.
Right. Disclosing to some people first before you blow the patch out to the public can be of great defensive benefit. But it has to be people you trust not to blab about it, deliberately or accidentally. Apparently USG is in that category.
This may allow the USG to also perpetrate attacks. But we really need some evidence of that.
Stuxnet? Is it too far of a stretch to think that this could have aided in the development? Obviously I have no evidence that it actually did, but I wouldn't be surprised and personally think its likely.
Probably not, once a vendor is aware the bug has a relatively short life and using it increases the possibility of detecting your attacks. To avoid constant maintenance, one must review code for new exploits and then not inform the vendor.
More likely they watched for indications that their bugs were independently detected to keep ahead once they were operational.
1. Oil rig fires actually occur with the same frequency in water without dolphins (making data up to go along with your example).
2. I can not see what motive dolphins could have for torching oil rigs
(usg has a motive)
3. I don't think they are able to do it, we have never seen evidence them being able to harness the power of fire.
(usg has access to 0days)
4. Dolpins have no record of performing other crimes or acts of sabotage before
(usg has)
3.Just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. They've had a lot of time to figure it out (they don't even have jobs)
4. They're clever animals. How can you say they wouldn't?
...to be more serious about it, I was using an extreme example to make a point. It is next to impossible to prove that someone has never done something, so when you start arguing on a basis like that you just descend into an abyss of unanswerable mess.
Here are the first books that crossed my mind.
The Road.
Daily Rituals: How Artists Work.
How to Read a Modern Painting: Lessons from the Modern Masters.
The Sun Also Rises.
The Wind Up Bird Chronicles.
Reamde: A Novel.
1984.
http://www.microsoft.com/security/msrc/collaboration/mapp.as...