U.K. government gets access to Microsoft source code

The U.K. government on Friday agreed to participate in Microsoft's Government Security Program (GSP), which gives agencies access to Windows source code in an effort to help ensure their systems are safe, Microsoft said Friday.

The GSP will give the security community in the government controlled access to Windows source code and other technical information, Microsoft said in a statement.

Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) have already signed up for the program, Microsoft said when it announced the GSP on Jan. 14.

The U.K. government agencies can simulate threats and assess vulnerabilities in addition to inspecting the code line by line, Microsoft said in its statement Friday. They also are invited to work with Microsoft security professionals in the U.K. as well as the company's hometown of Redmond, Washington . They will be able to review Windows source code development, testing and deployment processes and give feedback directly to Microsoft.