MESSAGE
| DATE | 2014-10-18 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir
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| SUBJECT | Subject: [NYLXS - HANGOUT] Microsoft Key Logging built into OS
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Your not safe to even use a secure shell into a secure OS if you are
doing so from a MS system...Theory? No, fact actually
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/10/07/windows_10_data_collection/
Don't want Microsoft tracking you online and collecting data on your
computing habits? Then you probably shouldn't install the Windows 10
Technical Preview, Redmond says.
The interwebs were abuzz on Monday over concerns about the Terms of Use
and Privacy Policy of Microsoft's newly released, not-even-beta-yet OS,
with some sites going as far as to claim that Windows 10 comes with a
"built-in keylogger" to watch users' every move.
Turns out these Chicken Littles were right – sort of – but
according to Microsoft they should have known about the data collection
from the get-go, because they agreed to it.
"With Windows 10, we're kicking off the largest ever open collaborative
development effort that will change the way we build and deliver
Windows," a Redmond spokesperson told El Reg in an emailed statement.
"Users who join the Windows Insider Program and opt-in to the Windows 10
Technical Preview are choosing to provide data and feedback that will
help shape the best Windows experience for our customers."
And sure enough, although Microsoft isn't providing detailed information
about what it's monitoring and how, the red flags for privacy freaks are
all there in the legalese everyone breezed through before downloading
the preview.
According to the Windows Insider Program's Terms of Use, "The purpose of
the Program is to ... provide Microsoft with feedback and detailed usage
data about all activities occurring on those devices so that Microsoft
and its partners can improve their products and services."
That explicitly includes "personal information," the terms go on to say,
and Microsoft might even contact program members with additional
information that is personalized just for them.
The program's Privacy Statement gives a few hints about what kind of
stuff Microsoft is looking for. Redmond reserves the right to collect
such info as, "your name, email address, preferences and interests;
browsing, search and file history; phone call and SMS data; device
configuration and sensor data; and application usage."
The Technical Preview also phones home with data about the files you
open and "performance or usage information," including what program
features you use most often and how long the system takes to respond to
clicks.
And then there's this gem, which is the one that got everyone moaning
about keyloggers:
[When you] enter text, we may collect typed characters and use them
for purposes such as improving autocomplete and spellcheck features.
Microsoft hasn't said just how many of those typed characters it might
collect or how often, but this is in fact something that the Windows 10
Technical Preview might do.
Does this mean Microsoft is planning to use Windows 10 to swipe
everyone's online banking passwords? The chances are slim to none –
although if you do your online banking on a prerelease test version of
Windows with an experimental build of Internet Explorer, you deserve
what you get.
Microsoft does, however, seem to be getting more aggressive about the
kind of user experience data collection it has been building into
prerelease versions of its flagship products for several years now.
(Remember all the user data that Redmond said went into crafting the
Office Ribbon UI? Where do you suppose it came from?)
How much of this data-collection the shipping version of Windows 10 will
do remains to be seen.
"As we get closer to a final product, we will continue to share
information through our terms of service and privacy statement about how
customer data is collected and used, as well as what choices and
controls are available," Microsoft told The Reg.
For now, though, bear in mind that when you fire up the Windows 10
Technical Preview, you are definitely being watched. But you knew that.
®
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