That guy using a Surface you keep seeing around town could be a spy

Microsoft's pointed out that the United States' National Security Agency has added some Surface devices to the nation's okay-for-accessing-secure-information list.

That list's proper name is the Commercial Solutions for Classified Program and was created because the US government used to spend years building a secure suite of products before releasing them to government users.

That approach would leave workers wielding out-of-date technology, which didn't exactly help US government workers to become efficient.

The list therefore offers products that, when used in concert with others on the list, can be assembled into acceptably secure "capability packages".

The NSA's added the Surface Pro 3, Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book to the list, all running Windows 10. The Surface Pro also makes it when running Windows 8.1

Microsoft's the only laptop and desktop OS vendor on the list, but is hardly alone on the list for mobile devices. Apple, LG and Samsung devices all make it, as do Blackberry OS 10.3 and the Boeing/Blackberry “Black” Android collaboration. The rest of the list covers all manner of enterprise hardware and software and offers a who's-who of big-name tech vendors.

Microsoft's singular inclusion for PCs is therefore good news for Surface and Windows 10, until President Trump worries about the price of either. And maybe it's a warning, too, that it might not be a coincidence that you keep seeing a chap with a Surface in coffee shops, on the train, down at the supermarket … ®