National Security Agency (NSA) spooks have taken time out from eavesdropping on US citizens to field-test Microsoft's latest operating system.

The intelligence unit, granted authority in the "War on Terror" to listen to the phone calls of American citizens, was brought in to keep hackers out of Windows Vista.

According to the Washington Post, staff at the NSA - a big Windows user - split into two teams to attack and defend the Defense Department. "Our intention is to help everyone with security," NSA chief of vulnerability analysis and operations group Tony Sager said.

Microsoft has turned to the NSA to test Windows Server 2003 and - bizarrely – consumer editions of Windows XP.®

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