Computer...(OT)

[deicer]

So...

Knowing that all of this goes on, why do you have a computer, credit card, cell phone, bank account, etc?

 

 

[Seeker]

2 minutes ago, deicer said:

So...

Knowing that all of this goes on, why do you have a computer, credit card, cell phone, bank account, etc?

I said it's prudent to take reasonable steps to protect your privacy not that you should become a luddite and live in a cave. 

[deicer]

Knowing that they have sucked in everyone with computerisation and the internet of all things, there is no way you can protect your privacy anymore. 

Walk in a public place?  Face recognition tech follows you.

Spent money? Unless 100% of your transactions are cash, you are tracked.

Phone calls?  Monitored.

So why be paranoid? 

I do nothing that is outside of social norms, so I am not afraid if they want to watch my mundane existence. 

If I am going to be hacked, there is nothing I can do to stop it, and the only time you will know is after the fact.

So I choose to have fun with it. 

Pick your nose in front of a security camera.  Scratch yourself accordingly in monitored elevators.  At least they will have something to talk about.

 

[boestar]

I just dont worry about it. Why stress over it?  I have been using windows 10 since the first week (actually earlier with a Beta version) I have never had an issue.  I suppose I could step back to windows 7 and lose all the advantages I have gained.  I could go to Linux but that is too much like work.  I already use a Mac which also has total control over you as well.  

Better yet I could move to a log cabin in the woods and live off the land.

 

[boestar]

Watch Out

[boestar]

28 minutes ago, seeker said:

Did you read anything I posted here?  Windows 10 has a keylogger and every site you visit is recorded.  Yeah, I know, I know you turned it off.  So what happens when Microsoft does one of their sneaky updates and turns it all back on again "as a default to benefit the end-user?"  If you think you have managed to outsmart Microsoft and turn all the tracking off you are either delusional or smarter than all the experts out there who say it isn't possible - maybe you have a new career opportunity running computer security seminars waiting for you?

I forgot to add.  All of my passwords are not typed into my secure sites like banking.  I have a password manager that handles them and stores them encrypted.  There is no keystroke to log for those. and on top of that I don't have to remember my passwords and they can be VERY strong passwords.

 

[Guest]

Seeker, just curious, you must have a personal computer or are you using a work unit? Reason I ask I am curious as to what operating system your personal computer is using and also, if you have one, your smart phone. 

 

[Seeker]

26 minutes ago, Malcolm said:

Seeker, just curious, you must have a personal computer or are you using a work unit? Reason I ask I am curious as to what operating system your personal computer is using and also, if you have one, your smart phone. 

 

I have a Mac computer and an Android phone.  I use a encryted VPN for both. When I use a work computer I only use it for work and never anything personal.  Before anyone jumps up and points their finger, I am fully aware that both Apple and Google have trackers for certain things.  My phone has few applications and I have the privacy tightened down as much as possible, never use it for banking and never use unsecured public wifi.  Along with the VPN I feel like this is reasonable privacy considering I mostly use the phone for reading the news, reading on Kobo, texting and a few insignificant games.  Of course my provider can tell my location at any time.  On my computer I use a VPN and browse with Firefox, Privacy Badger and Adblock Plus.  I use a third party cloud service and a offshore mail service.  I do not have accounts with Facebook, Twitter, Linkdin or any other social media services.  I do the stuff I want but try not to touch Microsoft, Apple, Google if there is any way around it.  Truthfully I was not a big fan of Microsoft before Windows 10 but now that I see what they have done there is no way I would ever use it.  If and when Apple gets to this level of monitoring/tracking I will take the time and make the effort to go Linux and I do know this will be a huge PITA.

[Guest]

Seeker, it is the cloud service that I avoid to protect the privacy of my files, there is no way in hell that I would trust someone to keep my files private.  Re linux, you may be disappointed to find:

https://blogs.sophos.com/2015/03/26/dont-believe-these-four-myths-about-linux-security/

[DEFCON]

I've never understood peoples rush to trust internet services such as banking; is convenience that important?

 

 

[deicer]

Once again, what's the difference?

If you use a teller, or a bank machine, they are all internet enabled.  It's how the world runs these days.

[Kip Powick]

5 hours ago, DEFCON said:

I've never understood peoples rush to trust internet services such as banking; is convenience that important?

 

 

I have used Internet Banking since it became available, in fact I have often stated that if I could get real cash through my computer I would never set foot in a bank

Every bill we get/have is paid via the Internet/banking. It is super convenient and the record keeping is easy and flawless.

I have only had my CC compromised once...to the tune of $1000.00 and apparently it was done by a hotel employee in Niagara Falls and my CC company said the man was charged and fired (don't know if that is true or not). I have "alerts" set up with all my bank accounts as well as all my CCs. Immediate TEXT/EMAIL if deposits or withdrawals exceed amounts I have set the ALERT for.

No more Money orders or Bank Drafts...send the funds by email to anyone you wish

Only one hiccup with the bank.... about 5 years ago I had a special "slush-fund" account and did a bank to bank transfer of some funds to my daughter's account. I did not realize that transferring funds from that account to another bank via the Internet was not a free service and there was a $10.00 charge to do it. Being "old" we pay nothing for all services at the bank so when I saw a bank charge of $10.00 I called the bank.

I got 'Gertrude Greenhorn' on the phone and she stated that I should have done a 'personal ' Internet transfer from the "slush-fund" account to my normal active account and then I could transfer the funds bank to bank via Internet, to my daughter and that I was SOL with ever getting a refund. I advised her that I had banked with that bank for over 40 years and had 9 accounts in it. Basically she told me "tough-Sh!t". I asked her to have all my accounts closed and ready for transfer by 5:00pm that same day

"Will-do" she said.....end of conversation.

About 15 minutes later I received a call from the Branch Manager stating that the $10.00 was credited back to my account and he "trusted" I would reconsider moving my business to another bank....I did and am still with the same bank.

[boestar]

I too use internet and mobile banking as well as apple pay, Paypal etc.  I have never had an issue with being compromised online in any way.  

I did have my credit card compromised when I used it at the Hyatt Regency in FLL when at a conference.  The card was taken for several hundred dollars but not a single one of those charges ever hit my statement.  It was caught by fraud detection and the card was immediately flagged and halted.  I had a replacement card with a new number in 4 days.

If you want to get compromised then use ANY card in the USA.  They are so far behind in security for banking and credit card transactions it no funny.  No chip and pin, rarely available tap.  When my CC was compromised and I was on the phone with VISA the guy said he could disable the swipe (magnetic stripe) ability on the card so it couldn't be used for swipe transactions.  I told him I was in Florida and hi comment was "oh, that's not going to work for you".

Bottom line is I have ZERO issues with it.

[Guest]

The only time my credit was compromised was when I used my credit card to book an all inclusive at a major Mexican resort. I use online banking all the time and have never had a problem. Mind you being a retiree, perhaps my bank balance is not large enough to be interesting.

[Seeker]

48 minutes ago, Malcolm said:

I use online baking all the time and have never had a problem.

I also tried online baking... but I found I was still hungry after.  Cleanup sure was a lot easier though!

[boestar]

5 hours ago, Malcolm said:

The only time my credit was compromised was when I used my credit card to book an all inclusive at a major Mexican resort. I use online baking all the time and have never had a problem. Mind you being a retiree, perhaps my bank balance is not large enough to be interesting.

Heck I am gainfully employed and my balance is too small to be of interest

 

[Guest]

5 hours ago, seeker said:

I also tried online baking... but I found I was still hungry after.  Cleanup sure was a lot easier though!

:memo to self, read before pushing enter .....

[Kip Powick]

memo to Malcolm.....read before pushing 'submit Reply'

[Seeker]

On 2016-05-25 at 5:52 PM, Malcolm said:

Seeker, it is the cloud service that I avoid to protect the privacy of my files, there is no way in hell that I would trust someone to keep my files private.  Re linux, you may be disappointed to find:

https://blogs.sophos.com/2015/03/26/dont-believe-these-four-myths-about-linux-security/

Ahh, you're missing the point.  Every operating system is subject to external threats but when the company that creates the operating system itself is the one doing the spying/tracking that's when it's time to switch (IMO).  I think it will be next to impossible to keep Microsoft from having access to you through Windows 10.  You can go through the 20 steps to turn everything off and I bet there will be some sneaky silent update that will turn it all back on or some hidden process will be found 5 years from now that nobody knew about that was sending data "home" to Redmond.  Now, for the vast majority of people it will/would make no difference in their lives.  Even for me - they want to watch me while I flip through the online Canadian Tire flyer - who cares!  I guess it's more about making a point.  The only pressure I can exert and the only pressure these companies understand is how I spend my money.  They start doing something I don't like and I stop buying their products - simple.  I don't like Microsoft's underhanded way of accessing their customer's data so I won't buy or support any of their products.

[JL]

A good 'hack' for Windows 10 is God Mode. It organizes all the typical windows Admin programs alphabetically in one folder. I found finding some of the regular windows features a bit tough. This shortcut makes it handy. 

1. Make sure your system account has administrative privileges.
2. Right-click on the Windows 10 desktop and choose New > Folder.
3. Name the folder: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} and hit enter/return to make it stick.

[boestar]

Speaking of Privacyhere is a good example of how little you have.  Look at all of the cameras on this one incident all posted on Twitter and youtube etc.

http://www.bramptonguardian.com/news-story/6691961-caught-on-camera-police-chase-in-mississauga-ends-near-square-one-with-crash-and-takedown-of-suspec/

[Guest]

18 hours ago, Kip Powick said:

12 hours ago, JL said:

A good 'hack' for Windows 10 is God Mode. It organizes all the typical windows Admin programs alphabetically in one folder. I found finding some of the regular windows features a bit tough. This shortcut makes it handy. 

1. Make sure your system account has administrative privileges.
2. Right-click on the Windows 10 desktop and choose New > Folder.
3. Name the folder: GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C} and hit enter/return to make it stick.

memo to Malcolm.....read before pushing 'submit Reply'

thanks JL here is the PC Mag article on it. http://www.pcworld.com/article/2881613/unlock-windows-10s-hidden-powerful-godmode-tool.html

 

[Seeker]

Microsoft really, REALLY wants you to upgrade to Windows 10.

Since last summer, the tech giant has pushed and prodded PC owners to upgrade their machines to its latest Windows version. While the upgrade is currently free for most consumers with Windows PCs, critics say the company’s heavy-handed nudging amounts to an “offer you can’t refuse.”

Microsoft initially offered Windows 10 as an optional upgrade — that is, one that users had to choose themselves. Then, earlier this year, the company reclassified it as a “recommended” update. Some Windows 10 holdouts cried foul, since many PCs are set up to automatically install recommended updates, which are usually important security fixes. Suddenly those machines would automatically install Windows 10 as well.

At one point, some PC owners complained, Microsoft began sending on-screen messages prompting them to download and install Windows 10. The catch: Where most such pop-up windows have buttons marked “OK” and “Cancel,” this message displayed two buttons that both led to an upgrade (“Upgrade Now” and “Upgrade Tonight”). To avoid the upgrade, diehard resisters had to click a red “X” in the upper-right corner that closed the window.

Microsoft then revised the notifications, citing customer feedback. A new version tells PC owners they are scheduled for a “recommended” upgrade to Windows 10 at a specific time in the near future, and bears a prominent “OK” button. To reject or reschedule the change, users have to find and click a less conspicuous link in small type. But clicking the “X” no longer blocks the upgrade.

Some PC users reacted as though Microsoft had left a horse’s head in their bed.

“Deceptive” and “a nasty trick” is how Brad Chacos, an editor at PCWorld, put it in a column after his wife unwittingly clicked the “X” and later found her machine was no longer running Windows 7, which she had wanted to keep.

“Deploying these dirty tricks only frustrates long-time Windows users who have very valid reasons to stick with operating systems they already know and love,” wrote Chacos, who added that he uses and likes Windows 10 personally. His wife, though, is now shopping for a Mac.

Many people have taken to social media to voice their complains about the experience:

Microsoft says it isn’t trying to be sneaky. In blog posts and official statements, the company says it shows users at least two notifications before it activates Windows 10. It also allows any PC owner to reverse the installation and go back to their old software if they do so within 31 days.

“We understand you care deeply about what happens with your device. This is why — regardless of your upgrade path — you can choose to upgrade or decline the offer,” Microsoft executive vice-president Terry Myerson wrote in a blog post .

Even so, Microsoft clearly wants to get as many PCs and other devices running Windows 10 as it possibly can. The company says it wants users to have the latest security features and other improvements. Microsoft also makes more money from Windows 10 features that increase usage of Bing, the company’s ad-supported search engine. And it wants to convince programmers there’s a big audience for software apps that are compatible with Windows 10 on PCs, tablets, smartphones and other gadgets.

Microsoft announced earlier this month that 300 million devices are running Windows 10 — a faster adoption rate than either of the two previous Windows versions.

Most buyers of new PCs will find Windows 10 already installed. But Microsoft says its offer of a free upgrade for old machines is ending July 29 — and that means more notices and prompts are likely.

 

http://business.financialpost.com/fp-tech-desk/microsofts-windows-10-push-comes-to-shove-for-some-angry-users?__lsa=2b98-0a9e

 

 

[Kip Powick]

Went back to Win7.......Spent 3 hours and copious amount of time on the Internet trying to get my DYMO label printer to work on Win 10.

Gave up....back to Win 7.....everything is running smoothly and I know where all the magic buttons and levers are....I am happy 

[Seeker]

25 minutes ago, Kip Powick said:

Went back to Win7.......Spent 3 hours and copious amount of time on the Internet trying to get my DYMO label printer to work on Win 10.

Gave up....back to Win 7.....everything is running smoothly and I know where all the magic buttons and levers are....I am happy 

Wise move, IMHO.  (Actually I know nothing about Windows 7 but I don't trust Windows 10 at all!)