Monday, August 31, 2015

Not just 10: Microsoft caught spying on Windows 7 and 8 users

BY JAMES WALKER  
Microsoft has been caught installing updates onto Windows 7 and 8 computers that effectively introduce the same diagnostic telemetry technology used in Windows 10. It indiscriminately uploads data to Microsoft's servers, a major privacy concern for many.
Forbes reports on the discovery made by gHacks this week. A few days ago, Windows 7 and 8 users were likely prompted to restart to install updates. A usual occurrence for those operating systems, many probably did so without knowing what lay inside.
The updates in question are KB3068708, KB3022345, KB3075249 and KB3080149. Between them, they install the Diagnostics and Telemetry tracking service that is such a controversial component of Windows 10. Once installed, it immediately begins phoning home to Microsoft — apparently with no option to stop it.

The data goes to "vortex-win.data.microsoft.com" and "settings-win.data.microsoft.com." It bypasses Windows system files that ordinarily could allow users to prevent their device from connecting to those servers, ensuring that the data is always uploaded.

The addresses are hardcoded into the telemetry service; as soon as it is running it begins uploading. Like with Windows 10, 7 and 8 now both continue to phone home to Microsoft even when privacy controls are enabled.

Although some concerns regarding the types of data uploaded are likely unfounded — no, Microsoft is not taking your personal files, yes, it wants to know how much you use search — the discovery does raise some important questions about Microsoft's usage of this information.

Currently, privacy concerns are a key reason cited by people who have not upgraded to Windows 10. Those users have made a conscious choice to stay on Windows 7 or Windows 8 and are likely to feel that it should be respected.

Installing the services that have created the refusal to upgrade isn't going to win Microsoft any favours in the long-term. It’s unclear why it has opted to begin collecting telemetry and diagnostics data from Windows 7 and 8 systems; although they are still supported they only receive security upgrades and bug fixes and it is unknown why Microsoft wants to monitor them in the same way as it does Windows 10.

Windows 7 and 8 users may feel somewhat alarmed at this discovery but there is a way to remove the service once it is installed. Unlike with Windows 10, Windows 7 and 8 users have more control over updates and eliminating these should be as easy as going to Programs & Features in Control Panel and clicking "Installed Updates." From there each update can be removed and then added to the "hidden" list so that the computer does not try to automatically install them again in the future.


Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/technology/not-just-10-microsoft-caught-spying-on-windows-7-and-8-users-too/article/442519#ixzz3kQmRXjwn

Found @ http://www.digitaljournal.com/technology/not-just-10-microsoft-caught-spying-on-windows-7-and-8-users-too/article/442519
Posted by at

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Consider contributing to this site

Hope you like this not for profit site.

 We could not devote so much energy into continuing this blog if it was not for the support of readers.

We greatly appreciate any support you provide!
Fair Use of Information for ALL All data is freely available to the ALL, as an inherent inalienable right of consciousness and existence, for the use of any being in creation. No Claim of Ownership is made by MDT, for any data presented on this page or elsewhere. Any information, writing, photographs, videos or content on this page is freely available to ALL without claim of Intellectual Ownership. We advise providing attribution to this website (MakingaDifferenceToday369) when, and if, data herein presented is used elsewhere; so as to remain honest, transparent and to maintain the public trust as to where the information was found. Any and All data herein presented has been re-claimed for the collective benefit of all sentient life from any and all parties who seek to limit its dissemination. Any claims of intellectual ownership or copyright, that were once ascribed to content on this page, or elsewhere, is NULL and VOID; as a result of a misrepresentation of right of ownership and breach of trust by any party whom presumes to claim title and exclusive right of use. No requests, threats, or notices which seek to limit the sharing information for the benefit of ALL will be honored. However, a humble request to provide information in a certain way or form will be considered, up to and including, the partial removal of data, and only as an agreement between 2 honorable parties whom fully disclose and honor a moral duty to the truth. FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. It is being made available in an effort to advance the understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, and so on. It is believed that this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. In this respect we are in accordance with the statutes as well as Natural Law.  Issued pursuant to and governed by I AM, eternal essence, in body. MDT is a humble messenger of the One Infinite and Absolute Creator, in service of the Truth and the ALL.