Windows 8 to Tell Microsoft About Everything You Install?

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[citation][nom]alextheblue[/nom]SmartScreen occurs BEFORE you install something. If it can tamper with SmartScreen, that means it is already running - in other words your computer is already compromised. At that point you're already vulnerable, why bother attacking smartscreen, when you can just open the machine wide and install whatever you want remotely? Silly.[/citation]They can only check for "known" hashes. Anything else either has to be blocked or left to the user to decide - and trojan horses are as old as Troy. Malware is designed for stealth. Once one unknown malware gets control and corrupts SmartScreen then any known malware will not be detected either.

And how is SmartScreen going to function if the computer is not connected to the Internet (or blocked) at the time the executable is installed, like from a Flash drive? Are they checking downloads in real-time also?
 
Yay! Just another useless feature to turn off after installing Windows. First, User Account Control, and now, this. I'll get Windows 8 after I hear it's safe to actually get. That is, boot to Desktop, add back the Start button.
 
Really Tomshardware! We have had a lot of articles like this featuring headline grabbing scare articles. This website used to go behind all the non-sense. Now, I can't read a single news item on here without reading the reader comments to balance them out.

This is nearly as bad as those articles about all the supposed Android Malware.
 
[citation][nom]gravewax[/nom]SSLv2 is disabled on all client communications (even those initiated from a server). The Server OS supported SSLv2 for backwards compatibility only but even then most but the most incompetent admins disable it altogether. basically an article based on someone poor technical knowledge and a whole lot of FUD about not understanding that hashes don't actually send all your private information.[/citation]
hashes will communicate what programs users attempt to install along with the IP address...
...and exploiting the security holes & backdoors in software installed on machines is one of the best ways to get in..

and here you are running the apologetics detail for m$ft
f that

 
I have the RTM of pro through MSDN, smartscreen is turned off by default, just checked.
 
[citation][nom]sgtgimpy[/nom]Tracks "APPS" that are downloaded and installed. That means the apps form the app store, just like Google does and Apple does. So is Microsoft so Evil or are they just following suit?[/citation]

"App" is used to refer to any application these days. It's more hip to shorten the word.

FWIW, Microsoft already knows a good deal about your system if you've activated Windows. It sends a whole pile of information off about your hardware, BIOS, etc.
 
"everyone hates the os we will release?? lets add another feature everyone will hate!!"
 
M$ sure is trying hard to convince me not to leave win7. I wasn't planning it since they revealed metro and this sort of shenanigans isn't encouraging either.

If I wasnt doing 3d and if Direct3D had real alternative... With that implied, I do like my win7 very much.
 
This is humorous. Everyon'e freaking. Of all things, the one everyone's getting afraid of is MS getting information on the time and day you installed Angry Birds. Seriously there's other giant companies like Google who mine the sh1t out of your private information. Dozens have your address, your name, your phone, your CCs, even your SSN and no one says anything about that
 
To those argumenting that AVs (and other software) already do this reporting thing:

Well, I honestly prefer giving out my info to my AVs company (ESET in my case) rather than to MS.
The reason is simple, Microsoft has shown a clear lack of ethics in the last years. I really can expect anything from them. By the way, anyone using W7 can choose if install (or not) that Malicious Software Removal tool. I chose not to.

Cheers
 
Every other company tracks worst things like CC, address, names, SSN, etc and you're worried about the programs you install?
 
[citation][nom]azraa[/nom]To those argumenting that AVs (and other software) already do this reporting thing:Well, I honestly prefer giving out my info to my AVs company (ESET in my case) rather than to MS.The reason is simple, Microsoft has shown a clear lack of ethics in the last years. I really can expect anything from them. By the way, anyone using W7 can choose if install (or not) that Malicious Software Removal tool. I chose not to.Cheers[/citation]
"Founded in 1992, ESET is headquartered in Bratislava Slovakia"

Oh yeah that's SO much better. You're Charlie Sheen, baby. Epic Winning!
 
[citation][nom]jhansonxi[/nom]They can only check for "known" hashes. Anything else either has to be blocked or left to the user to decide - and trojan horses are as old as Troy. Malware is designed for stealth. Once one unknown malware gets control and corrupts SmartScreen then any known malware will not be detected either.And how is SmartScreen going to function if the computer is not connected to the Internet (or blocked) at the time the executable is installed, like from a Flash drive? Are they checking downloads in real-time also?[/citation]If you use IE9, then yes they are also checking downloads. Nothing is perfect... but anyway you missed my point.

You're saying they can tamper with SmartScreen. I get that. I'm saying that if you have software that CAN tamper with it, that means it is installed, which means it already bypassed SmartScreen (nothing is perfect and users are ignorant), so there's little incentive to tamper with it. The box is compromised and you can attempt to do whatever you wanted to do in the first place. You have to worry about other security mechanisms at that point.

Anyway, if you install anything from unknown sources (be it USB or whatever) you're taking a chance. Most software installations from shady sources are downloaded off the internet, though. This is just another line of defense. Along with the Marketplace, this should cut down on a whole lot of people calling me because "A big screen says I need to buy their anti-virus to fix my computer". As long as they aren't preventing advanced users from doing advanced things (they're not), then I don't mind.[citation][nom]JOSHSKORN[/nom]Yay! Just another useless feature to turn off after installing Windows. First, User Account Control, and now, this. I'll get Windows 8 after I hear it's safe to actually get. That is, boot to Desktop, add back the Start button.[/citation]You probably turn off system updates, too, don't you?
 
This has probably been going on since Win95 ! xD

Apple got caught 1 or 2 years ago. What makes you think Microsoft is so innocent ?

Thats IT !! I'M DONE with Microfascist !! Bill Gates YOU SUCK.

Linux here I come !! :)

pEACe
 
Whatever... Microsoft has been collecting lots of user data since Windows XP. If you USE Windows Media Center (that comes with XP and up) - ever video / music file you play - is saved in a cache file which is sent to MS... if I remember right. Its been years, been using Media Player Classic anyway... its smaller, faster and far more flexible than anything else out there.

So... if you are watching hamsterunicorn porn, Microsoft knows.
 
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