Newsmaker: Putting privacy first at Microsoft

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WGA Notifications was found to ping Microsoft every day. Do you feel that should be disclosed to users?
Cullen: We have a basic promise that we will be as transparent as possible. In this case, we've spent a lot of time on the Windows Genuine Advantage Validation part that really transmits information and neglected the area of Notifications.

Microsoft has a big push for online services. Everything is going "Live." Is there a difference between online and offline when it comes to privacy?
Cullen: We're building online services to the same set of standards around privacy as more traditional products. Also, think about that even though software sits on your computer, it's still connecting to the Internet.

Windows Error Reporting, for example, has privacy built into it. When there is a problem with the system we want to know about that, because it is perhaps the only way that we can fix it. But we also understand that you need to have the choice about whether the information is sent. So, before it gets sent, you have to affirmatively say "please send."

So there is no need for special guidelines for online services?
Cullen: When we the built the privacy standards, we thought about it in terms of products, and we also thought about it in terms of services, so it applies to every single one of our Web pages.

Is there much debate, or do you have to fight for certain things when you're working with product teams? Are there certain things that you really have put your foot down over?
Cullen: One of the most gratifying things about Microsoft is privacy is a core tenet of the company. It's part of the Trustworthy Computing Initiative, which was proclaimed by Bill Gates four-and-a-half years ago. I find privacy is actually a forethought as opposed to an afterthought. There are situations where we do provide counsel, but usually it is because the business unit really wants to do the right thing.

Windows Vista is coming down the pike, and Microsoft is touting it as its most secure operating system. Is it also one of the most privacy-centered operating systems?
Cullen: That gets back to the standards that we've right built into the product. Vista went through the entire Security Development Lifecycle, which means that privacy is built right into it.

You don't often have to slap people for doing something bad, related to privacy?
Cullen: It hasn't been my experience, no.

Maybe the WGA Notifications flap is the only example?
Cullen: We've spent a lot of time on parts of that, and we'll do a better job of the rest of it. My experience is that people absolutely want to do the right thing all the time. In our company, there are over 350 people that have responsibility for privacy as part of their job, so it's a marvelously rich infrastructure that's inculcated right into the business unit.

More Newsmakers

[Maccess]

So is that why you're screwing up XP privacy now with "phone home" WGA?

...Vista can be marketed as a privacy sensitive OS?

The problem with Microsoft's claim that it has a right to check each Windows installation for verification is that it totally ignores others right to privacy and right to their own IP which just happens to be on a computer running XP.

As you know, people tend to be defensive about their IP. Holding that hostage to a beta version of WGA privacy checks is simply irresponsible.

I wonder what the corporate market thought of that move? Pushing software into their users that updates a third party on their system status.

I hope the intrusive WGA checks are not a ploy to damage XP, so you can market Vista as a "privacy sensitive" OS.

We already have privacy sensitive Windows, they're called Windows 98 and Windows 2000.

[aabcdefghij987654321]

Behind the times aren't you?

MS has already posted instructions on how to remove WGA entirely if you desire.

[Seaspray0]

It's still spyware

It meets all the requirements: You cannot install updates without installing the windows genuine advantage update first. The genuine advantage reports information about your computer back to microsoft on every bootup. I have been a supporter of microsoft's OS (MCSE) and there's little doubt you will convince me that you didn't F**k up this time.

[kamwmail-cnet1]

LOL Hire a PR Front and the Techies continue their lunacy.

Typical microsoft still doesn't get it. They need a new public relations advisor. People who gets annoyed at microsoft are NOT your typical braindead populance you can lie easily to. Hiring a PR Frontman while the techies still continue to program invasions to privacies won't wash with this group.

[curtegg]

Suffer

I love this continuing saga users have with MS and their intrusive
policies and DRM schemes. Be lemmings and cannonball off your
cliff. VISTA will be much worse.

[ForestRJ]

Ummm Was that an answer?

You know, I found the entire response related to the Spyware Program WGA from Microsofts Cullen, to be 'UNANSWERED'; in full and part. I love how this guy danced around the subject. He barely touched the surface, I was expecting at minimum the truth& We are MS, we can do what we please, when we please; and if you or your readers dont like it, find another OS, because we dont give a damn. At least this would have been directly to the point, if not 100% honest.

I admit there are pirated versions of the software out there, and that in itself is wrong. But most of those people are not going to update/upgrade the program as a whole. Most of those who use the pirated version of XP Pro/Home, are not going to take the chance that they are discovered. Thus it is redundant to think this Spyware/Parasite that MS has come up with, is going to make much of an effect, if any. I have talked to people on Voice Video chats that practically brag about having a Pirate Copy of Windows, but& They will not go to the MS Site for updates. So they are basically running Windows Rel. 1 or 2 with minimal security and/or critical updates, if any at all. Thus they will either be hacked, hijacked or otherwise crash in short time. Thus, taking care of MS Pirated OS problem.

I know MS has a lot of smart people scampering around, pretending to give a crap about us (the end user). But in reality is, WGA is Spyware (if not a parasite as well)! It gathers Personal Information and sends it back to someone elses system/server for analysis. Yet, they call it a utility to help find and/or deter Software Piracy? Give me a break! Sending Spyware and Parasitic Programs to you, hidden with a series of complicated code, let alone the fifty million pages of text you need to read to know precisely what is being installed on YOUR PC. Just to update your security? This in itself sounds like some covert black bag operation on a corporate level.

I see a series of major law suits in the future for MS. Because you and I both know, someone will claim they lost personal/confidential data due to WGA, and they will have an authentic copy of the Windows Software, that for some strange reason was wrongly classified as Pirated Software. I hope it is a US Government Agency, and I hope they take MS to the cleaners over this. MS is acting like a culmination of people with delusions of being Deities. Thus they can do what ever they damn well please to us lowly mortals.

[ForestRJ]

Stopping Windows Genuine Advantage dead in its tracks?

I have a Legal copy MS XP first of all, with the numbers and all that crap. But, I found this on another site, and it works for me. I simply made another folder named 'Security Risk' and pasted the contents within it. Just in case I needed to copy it back (like the article suggest).

Stopping Windows Genuine Advantage dead in its tracks- and still getting the updates

{[someone posted this and thought i would share it with you, its located here] or read it bellow}

As a disclaimer: I run a legitimate copy of Windows XP. It came pre-installed on my IBM Lenovo ThinkPad T42p. I am not advocating piracy or anything else that may or may not be illegal. All I am doing is showing you how to save yourself a few precious spaces in your RAM as well as stop your machine from calling home into Microsoft every 14 days.

All this said& here goes:

I ran my weekly Windows Update and it wanted to install the Windows Genuine Advantage Validation Tool (KB892130) hotfix. I HAD to install it, otherwise I wouldnt get any updates to my machine.

So, I accept it, go through the install, but once it was done, I didnt reboot. Instead, I went into: C:\WINDOWS\SOFTWAREDISTRIBUTION\DOWNLOAD\ and located a folder (mine was:
CD6812FEF1FD3E79D9350B24A76108F1; yours may vary) and that folder contained the following files:

legitcheckcontrol.dll
spmsg.dll
update/
4 _downloadprogress_.state
17 _file_to_execute_.txt
34 _unpacked_.state
50 _useselfcontained_.state

the update directory contained:

update.exe
update.inf
update.ver
updspapi.dll
wga.cat
wgacustom.dll

All you have to do now is move (my preferred method, in case I have to put it back) or delete the CD6812FEF1FD3E79D9350B24A76108F1 directory, and restart.

WGA doesnt finish its install, but from Windows Updates point of view, its all good.

There you go& have fun, and be safe!