Microsoft is considering charging for additional security options, and acknowledges that it didn't move on security until customers were ready to pay for it. The company "may offer new security abilities on a paid basis," said Microsoft Chief Technical Officer Craig Mundie. The possibility is under consideration within Microsoft's security business unit, recently set up under its own vice president, Mike Nash. The idea is still only hypothetical, but represents an acknowledgement that Microsoft sees security not just as a necessary condition to reassure existing and future customers, but also as a potential source of revenue.
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