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Wow, this is evil. The Documents library even uses the SkyDrive location as its default write location, so any file saved to the Documents library will automat
by RyanZAG 13y ago
Wow, this is evil.
The Documents library even uses the SkyDrive location as its default write location, so any file saved to the Documents library will automatically go on SkyDrive.
Most office workers won't even notice this. Any time someone hits save in Word, their document is sent directly to the NSA for review. This is like the 'url bar goes to google' problem in Chrome, but 1000x worse.
- flexie 13y agoIn other words: Saving a document in the Documents library means sharing it with the government.
- arethuza 13y agoThey don't seem to have created a way of completely disabling SkyDrive using a GPO (Group Policy Object)! http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/0e840d9d-c8c0-4e0b-8620-7e9adc3b4d8d/it-is-possible-to-disable-skydrive-right http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/office/en-US/0e84... NB woe provided a correction to this - I (perhaps understandably) confused this feature with SkyDrive for Office, which appears to be something different... [NB woe's comment is dead, for no obvious reason]
- woe 13y agoYou're talking about the SkyDrive integration in Microsoft Office, a slightly different matter. Windows 8.1 has a "Prevent the use of SkyDrive for file storage" policy setting.
- nodata 13y agoYou can always delete the file, then it'll be moved to the Memory Hole.
- stinos 13y agoI have been with my head under a rock lately and don't know much about this NSA stuff. So please enlighten me: is there hard proof that all or some of your SkyDrive/GoogleDrive/... documents are passed directly to the NSA? Also if you're outside the US?
- RyanZAG 13y agoIt has been stated that all data - this includes SkyDrive or GoogleDrive files - is available for government agencies if a warrant is issued. In the case of being outside the US, it has been stated that the warrant is not necessary, and any communications or data between US and non US citizens is also fair game. There is also speculation that the NSA is legally allowed access to any data transfers going through peering points out of the US, and that internal US traffic can be diverted specifically to allow this to occur. SkyDrive in particular is very likely to be sharing this information as any link placed into a document in SkyDrive is visited by Microsoft, and any pornography or other 'invalid' content is deleted from SkyDrive. This implies Microsoft must keep records of all files you store there and the likely content of those files, and that 'metadata' appears to be freely available for law enforcement in the USA through the PRISM and similar programs. EDIT: In addition, it is believed that the NSA pays Microsoft for access to Skype communications, and one would assume that they would also pay for access to SkyDrive data.
- stinos 13y agohmm. still a lot of "speculation/likely/...". But no matter what, this is f*cked beyond recognition
- statictype 13y agoThere is also speculation that....is very likely...and that 'metadata' appears to be....it is believed....and one would assume... Thanks for the concrete feedback. I was wondering for a sec if this was just blatant fear-mongering and imagination stretching.
- lifeisstillgood 13y ago
- newsign 13y agoIts better to use service from someone who follows Zero-Knowledge policy ... one such service is SpiderOak - may be there are few more ... on this platform we need to encourage to use those services so that other can notice the demand and change their policy too (though difficult but not impossible) ....
- option_greek 13y agoI hope they will use NSA logo as documents library icon to increase the irony. I wonder if SkyDrive is being partially subsidized by three letter agencies...
- ics 13y ago"What's on the other side of that door that's always locked– the one next to all the servers?" "In there? Just the blind eyes we get in return for those .gov contracts. We keep 'em in here so they stay cool. If you ever happen to see a live one just leave 'im be– the contracts say not to touch those. In fact, don't mention 'em. Coffee?"
- mtgx 13y agoSkydrive maybe not, but Skype probably is (and could be why Microsoft was so lavish in paying $8 billion a company that barely made any money on its own): http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions_for_skype_pwnage/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions_... Also there was some info in some recent articles about companies sharing data with the feds being paid to do so. It wasn't just the carriers, although the carriers did get paid the most.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- damian2000 13y agoIs this on the vanilla/out-of-the-box Win8.1 or only after you've installed the SkyDrive app or tweaked settings? EDIT: assume you only need to sign up for a SkyDrive account. All of the desktop integration is enabled by default.
- harrytuttle 13y agoWindows 8.1 in its current state requires that you log in using an online account always [1] and provisions a SkyDrive account on login. However, even if you circumvent this or start with a local account (see [1] again), you will be signed into SkyDrive the moment you log into the windows store or any other app. [1] This is apparently being removed in RTM.
- mtgx 13y agoThe NSA backdoor is terrible in its own way (what business wants its documents to go straight to NSA?!), but remember this from a while ago? You now have to be careful what you keep in your own computer (privately), because if it goes straight to Skydrive, Microsoft might delete it: > "After contact with Microsoft support he found out that his account was blocked because there was a folder on his SkyDrive that contained content which was not allowed by the code of conduct of Microsoft SkyDrive. The folder was a private folder, not shared to anyone else. Microsoft reserves the right to suspend an account for any reason, and two months of trying to fix the issue did not result in any resolution." http://wmpoweruser.com/watch-what-you-store-on-skydriveyou-may-lose-your-microsoft-life/ http://wmpoweruser.com/watch-what-you-store-on-skydriveyou-m...
- greyman 13y agoI am a win8 fanboy, but this is unnerving. Anyway, at least in the home environment, I can still use Local user account, and just not login to Skydrive, right?
- harrytuttle 13y agoYou can do but the moment you log into the Windows Store for example, it will log you into all apps including the SkyDrive one so it's all or nothing. Also at the moment there is not an option to provision an 8.1 machine with a local account as well during the trial period. You must use an online windows account.
- greyman 13y agoI see. If this will be the case, one just should be careful to not leave anything unwanted in the Documents folder?
- harrytuttle 13y agoIsn't that like writing your diary in the corner of the room where the telescreen can't see you?
- greyman 13y agoMaybe, I don't know. My concern is, that I would like to continue to use Windows 8, but not Skydrive. If there wouldn't be such a possibility, I could revert to Win 7 (although I don't like this idea, since Win 8 is superior product overall).
- woe 13y agoThis behavior depends on a user preference, "Save documents to SkyDrive by default". I don't remember whether this is enabled by default. (I've since overwritten my Windows 8.1 installation.)