Poll: Do you feel "safe" using Windows?

[Ambient_Malice]

Like many others, I've upgraded to Windows 10 because I crave that sweet, sweet proprietary, incompatible-with-every-other-Operating-System DirectX 12 action. But while I don't really have anything to hide, I share the concern of people worried that Microsoft has used Windows 10 as a new benchmark for crossing lines when it come to openly gathering data about what your are doing with your computer.

Sure, a lot of the stuff you see floating around on the internet about Windows 10 spying on you is unsubstantiated rumour. Claims that Microsoft spies on kids and sends data reports to parents ignores that one has to set up Microsoft Parent/Child accounts first for this to happen. Claims Windows 10 catalogues every video file on your PC and sends a hash list to Microsoft is totally unproven, for example. But Microsoft *is* gathering more data than back in the humble days of Windows 7. Windows 8 started the trend, and Windows 10 takes it to a whole new level, especially with the default settings.

 

[FalloutJack]

In a world where they warn you about protecting your identity from hackers getting into your system and even using your own camera, maybe, why would you want there to be an in? If it's not safe from the people who made it, it's not safe from anybody. You're just waiting for a group of self-important smartasses to come out and go "HEY, MICROSOFT! LOOK WHAT WE CAN DO!". It'll be stupid, completely asinine, but it'll happen.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

To be fair, I don't feel safe using Apple products either. I mostly default to linux for my internet browsing, OSX for when editing for my job demands Apple and Windows for practically all my gaming.

Still unconvinced on the shift from 7 to 10.

 

[seventy two]

Does it bug me to have MS gather data on my computer usage? Not really, any data gathering is not going to be personalized me, there are not enough resources to dedicated to such individual attention. Microsoft is gathering data to better understand their customer base. This part of the agreement to use their product, and is not that unreasonable. Plenty of software gathers similar information as it relates to their product, usually on a voluntary basis, but rarely does anyone complain that their projects are being spied on. As long as it is not a detriment to me I am generally okay with it.

I've always felt the attachment to privacy to be a bit overrated, rarely is this data dangerous or even notable, and if people really want to see your data they can do so reasonably easily.

 

[Ambient_Malice]

There's also the fact Microsoft has elected to be really, really vague about what their patches do going forward. http://www.pcworld.com/article/2974648/windows/microsoft-wont-provide-full-release-notes-for-most-windows-10-updates.html

 

[KyuubiNoKitsune-Hime]

I've never felt safe on a Windows platform, ever, because it's the largest platform, which means it has the most people trying to break it, which they invariably do. Compound that with the fact that you only get weekly updates from MicroSoft at best, well you've got a whole slew of potentially serious security issues that won't get fixed until it's too late. Windows 10 spying with Cortana isn't anything new either, Apple was doing it with Siri already, Google does it with their own voice recognition stuff, plus most smart TVs, the Xbox One, and such spy on you already too. Hell with new stuff in most cars, even your car is spying on you now. Not to mention the fact that they're all absurdly easy to hack too, they added the internet connected conveniences with out even thinking about security. To be honest it's more likely that a hacker will get sensitive data through these holes, than it is for the NSA, MicroSoft, Apple, Google, or anyone else doing the spying to find it.

Personally I use Linux for basically everything, if I get into a position where I'll have Windows again, I'll still use Linux for most everything, but Windows for gaming. Also if I do get Windows again, it'll be Windows 7, for two reasons; first is that it's had quite a while to be pounded on by hackers, which makes it more secure, second is that it's just so much less intrusive than Windows 8 and 10. But still I'm not that worried about them spying, as it stands there is too much data flying around anyways to make any sense of it. That's just because of how many people rely on being connected to the internet for everything, everywhere, basically all the time.

 

[Kyrian007]

Does it bug me to have MS gather data on my computer usage? Not really, any data gathering is not going to be personalized me, there are not enough resources to dedicated to such individual attention. Microsoft is gathering data to better understand their customer base. This part of the agreement to use their product, and is not that unreasonable. Plenty of software gathers similar information as it relates to their product, usually on a voluntary basis, but rarely does anyone complain that their projects are being spied on. As long as it is not a detriment to me I am generally okay with it.

I've always felt the attachment to privacy to be a bit overrated, rarely is this data dangerous or even notable, and if people really want to see your data they can do so reasonably easily.

I have to agree with this mostly. The difference being I do value privacy pretty highly, but I rely on myself to protect my privacy rather than put it in some company's hands. My Win 10 machine won't give Microsoft any information that I'd rather they didn't have. I'll do the research, make the changes, set the settings... the way I always have with my online interactions. And if there's a dealbreaker there somewhere, my Win 7 still works.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

Well... No... But two things.

1. The chances of me actually being "hacked" right now are super slim to none.

and

2. If someone really really wanted to, one could break into any system, be it Linux or Windows.

If you really want to be secure, one shouldn't even keep their sensitive info/programs/pics/whatever on a device with an internet connection at all. You can't get into something that simply isn't there.

 

[Dornedas]

If you really want to be secure, one shouldn't even keep their sensitive info/programs/pics/whatever on a device with an internet connection at all. You can't get into something that simply isn't there.

That is quite frankly not true.
Wasn't there a case some years back about how some hackers shut down a nuclear power plant in Iran or somewhere because someone connected an infected USB-stick to the computers there.

At least that's what our professor told us in network security. Nothing is 100% secure.

 

[the.chad]

Personally, I fear the likes of google much more than microsoft...

 

[Imperioratorex Caprae]

Honestly, I for one thing refuse to use your voting system since none of those choices fit my view. And for another, my privacy while using an O/S is really my responsibility. I take many different steps to cultivate my own security and I don't leave it up to Microsoft to do it for me. Self-education on how to keep the things private you want to be private is the only way to honestly feel secure. Otherwise you're putting your own security in other people's hands, and that doesn't always work out.
There's always going to be security holes and such, but I've never honestly had an issue where my information of personal nature has been stolen, no accounts hacked except for my original WoW account, only because I used a friends computer to log in one day and the moron had never scanned it for security threats, malware or viruses and my account was hacked and banned shortly thereafter.
Lesson learned.
The only way to be truly secure is to rip out your wifi card and unplug the LAN cable.

 

[Zykon TheLich_v1legacy]

Wasn't there a case some years back about how some hackers shut down a nuclear power plant in Iran or somewhere because someone connected an infected USB-stick to the computers there.

IIRC that wasn't so much "some hackers" as "probably the American or Israeli government". It was a very complex and well made virus that had a rather suspicious habit of going after certain computer systems in specific regions.

OT: Not touching windows ten until it's been out for a while. Just for the "waiting until Microsoft get it to work properly" thing.

 

[CrystalShadow]

Does it bug me as a concept? Sure.

But do I feel unsafe?
Eh.
Did you know the original quake had a backdoor in it that let ID software (or anyone else that knew about how it worked) To remotely access anything on your PC?

Do you know what facebook and google do when you use their services?

Guesd what's in the steam TOS?
Run a futuremark benchmark? You've just given them permission to read the entire content of your computer remotely.
Lots of games are just as bad.

How about phones and tablets? Is windows 10 bad?
Well, it doesn't really do anything that smartphones and tablets have done from the start.

Did you know that by law a mobile phone (even the dumb, primitive kind) has to have gps and be remotely trackable now?

Ever read what android permissions mean, and what it allows an app to do?
Like, just because I have a sound recording app, there's a chance my tablet is transmitting voice data to someone, somewhere.

That's to say nothing of what google itself (or samsung, in my case) might be able to read off my device whenever they feel like it.

Windows 10... Is scary, yes, but not in comparison to what people already accept without giving it much thought.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

Everything is scary. And if at any point you find it isn't, then what you are experiencing is an illusion to lull you into a false sense of security. ...Fear all!

 

[Hoplon]

If you really want to be secure, one shouldn't even keep their sensitive info/programs/pics/whatever on a device with an internet connection at all. You can't get into something that simply isn't there.

That is quite frankly not true.
Wasn't there a case some years back about how some hackers shut down a nuclear power plant in Iran or somewhere because someone connected an infected USB-stick to the computers there.

At least that's what our professor told us in network security. Nothing is 100% secure.

Nah, I got shown how to secure a computer, you pull the hdd and the power supply then lock all three parts in separate safes. then it's secure.

 

[Arnoxthe1]

That is quite frankly not true.
Wasn't there a case some years back about how some hackers shut down a nuclear power plant in Iran or somewhere because someone connected an infected USB-stick to the computers there.

At least that's what our professor told us in network security. Nothing is 100% secure.

Yes, but I meant online. Having actual access to the machine is another matter entirely.

 

[Sigmund Av Volsung]

Spoiler: Don't trust anyone

I use Windows 7 so the data mining stuff is barely even there iirc.

I still look at Windows update with one eye on the icon and the other on "system reset".

 

[Cowabungaa]

I turned most of the data gathering crap off, including Cortana which is probably the worst offender, so at this point I doubt the data mining is any more intrusive than it was in Windows 7. So yeah I'm good.

As for safe, eh not any more or less safe than before.

I've always felt the attachment to privacy to be a bit overrated, rarely is this data dangerous or even notable, and if people really want to see your data they can do so reasonably easily.

It's about control, I think, for most people. People often aren't exactly comfortable with the idea of companies having a detailed profile of you and then selling it to the highest bidder. Because yeah, in bulk that information is definitely notable for advertising companies and the like.

 

[Mr Fixit]

I have nothing to hide & I honestly have much more important things to worry about. If Microsoft wants to know what sites I go to & the types of things I buy, then fine I don't care. It's no worse than carrying around a cell phone or using anything Apple or Google related.

Seriously people it's the space lizard Nazis that we have to really worry about.

 

[Elementary - Dear Watson]

I personally don't give a shit. I treat all IT devices with mistrust... as should most people. Does this mean we shouldn't use them? No... that would be like not driving on roads because you can't always predict what other drivers are going to do... just a risk you live with.

Some of these 'ins' are there.. yes. That doesn't mean that the companies are using them... most of this data is passive, and only serves to show Microsoft how much money they need to budget to certain services, ensureing that those that people use get the most money.

If you think that your life is that interesting to certain individuals, then maybe you should just stay clear of the internet. You can't have your cake AND eat it.