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MICROSOFT BACKS UP users’ encryption keys to its servers, The Intercept’s Micah Lee reports — arguably undermining security protections.
Like other tech companies, Microsoft now automatically encrypts devices with Windows 10 installed. This makes it (in theory) impossible for someone to access your data if they don’t have your password.
But if you want to use encryption on Windows 10 Home Edition, the cheapest version of the operating system, it uploads your key to Microsoft’s servers.
Now, this probably isn’t going to bother ordinary users. In fact, having a backup on their encryption key in the cloud in case they get locked out is likely a benefit for many people.
But users who work in more sensitive roles (journalists, activists, researchers, and so on) could be concerned by the fact that a key that grants access to their devices is on another company’s servers, where it could – theoretically – be accessed by law enforcement or malicious hackers.
More expensive versions of Windows 10 – Pro and Enterprise – have software installed called BitLocker, which allows the user to encrypt their device without sending the key to Microsoft (They have the options to print it or save it to an external drive instead). But this isn’t available to Windows Home users.
It’s also possible for a user to delete their key from Microsoft’s servers once it has been uploaded. But there’s no way to avoid uploading it in the first place, which may put off the most security-conscious users.
Business Insider has reached out to Microsoft for comment. A company spokesperson told The Intercept that ”when a device goes into recovery mode, and the user doesn’t have access to the recovery key, the data on the drive will become permanently inaccessible”.
Based on the possibility of this outcome and a broad survey of customer feedback we chose to automatically backup the user recovery key … The recovery key requires physical access to the user device and is not useful without it.
Of course, even if your keys aren’t backed up elsewhere, that doesn’t mean your data is completely safe from adversaries.
Multiple countries – including Britain, France, and Australia – have “key disclosure” laws, that force users to surrender passwords to authorities in certain circumstances under threat of criminal punishments, including fines and jail time.
And as freelance journalist Joseph Cox pointed out in September 2015, there’s another risk: “Thuggish threats. When a police officer discovers a journalist has an encrypted phone, they may just beat up the reporter until the password is revealed.”
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What’s this far right right I’m reading about,it’s pretty normal for people with young children to be concerned about unvetted illegal migrants coming into their community
@Brian Molloy: great to see we all now know, you clearly support the right-wing, conspiracy theory, paranoid minority, Brian Molloy. “Unvetted,” you should see a vet
@Brian Molloy: Should Londoners with children be concerned about the 10s of 1000s of unvetted Irish there?
@Brian Molloy: the far right all got rejected. As Simon said in his sit down interview, there is no such thing as an illegal immigrant as all immigrants are legally allowed to seek asylum.
@Me Me: Not to mention the millions of ‘unvetted’ Irish in Ireland.
@Brian Molloy:
Clown
@Brendan O’Brien: fair point, Irish people don’t get vetted when moving into a local community.
@F1rYnpWc: No they don’t. But Irish people do get vetted if we want to live in countries outside the European union, for example the US, Saudi Arabia, New Zealand etc before we can move there. so why can Ireland do the same non EU people want to live here? The thousands of illegal immigrants who can roam this country freely is ridiculous and can’t be allowed to continue.
@Brian Molloy: so you think what happened in Dublin driven by the far right theology is acceptable? Just after looking at Kevin Mulooly, the II MEP on RTE, and he is trying to spin how FF and FG planned the election for November so bad weather would keep voters in! It is like they cannot accept that the majority of Irish people are good decent people who actually want to help others in trouble.
@J B: dead right,running from prosecution rather than persecution
@Me Me: You sound Chinese
@Me Me: yes
@Brian Molloy: the far right lost again hopefully they can take a hint the people of Ireland don’t want them or need them
@Ger Whelan: Hi Ger. I live in NZ. I emigrated 7 years ago. I’m curious as to what you mean by vetted?
@Brian Molloy: very true I’m extremely concerned and I have two young kids
@Brian Molloy: are you vetted? Are all your neighbours? Why are immigrants more of a risk than locals? How many immigrants were rioting and looting and burning a year ago? How many locals were? How many immigrants have been setting empty buildings on fire? How many locals have? How many immigrant feral teenagers are robbing motorbikes and joyriding them around the suburbs every day? How many locals?
I’d rather 10 “unvetted migrants” beside me than 1 “local” who’s been at any of the above
@F1rYnpWc: Is this the same Simon you were ridiculing for the last two weeks & now your quoting him to back up your point, another SF flip flop obviously. Your thinking on Immigration is at complete odds with your SF grassroots voter base & one of the reasons you are down from 36% to 19.5%. There is such a thing as an illegal Immigrant if you want to be pedantic about it, under EU law. Your Far Right label is just a method to shut down debate, nobody is totally anti Immigration, but Ireland’s soft touch policies & lack of implementation of rules is leading to those who can’t enter other countries or those hiding criminal convictions choosing Ireland. Adding 100,000 people a year in a housing crisis is akin to pumping water into a flood zone, highlighting this is not Far Right.
@John Conway: Hi John. When you moved to New Zealand did you wake up one morning buy a plane ticket board a flight that same day and go begin you’re life in New Zealand when the plane landed?. No you didn’t did you?. You filled out forms asking for permission to live and work in new Zealand and waited weeks or months for approval or denial of that application. They use that information to vet you before granting you. If you had a serious criminal conviction you would not be living in new Zealand 7 years would you?. They don’t let criminals in and roam the country freely so why should we. Any asylum seekers should be properly vetted before being granted the freedom of our country.
@SV3tN8M4: I’ve said it was Simon who said there is no “illegal” immigrant as per law. And both FF and FG said immigration is a good thing, they’re probably the only two parties that are pro immigration. And they got re-elected. While all anti migration parties got eliminated.
Come on FFG…15k homeless. Those are Rookie numbers. We can double that over the next five years again! Hail Simon. 3k average monthly rents here we come. Let the good times roll!
@Dave G Doe: It’s way past your bedtime!
@Dan The Man: what is your definition of homeless? In terms of rough sleepers Ireland has very low numbers, thankfully.
Why can’t people disagree with the amount of immigrants coming into this country without being called racist? Why are we a so called Rich country but the amount of homeless people is at a record high? Why do I have to rent a house at crazy money when I could be paying a mortgage for about 400euro a month cheaper? What has happened to our country? For me it feels like Ireland has lost all its culture and all the do gooders are taken over, if ya disagree with them your the worst in the world, were not allowed look after our own people first anymore and that is sad. Say what yas want
I’m really surprised that the Green party candidates are surprised they’ve been wiped out..?! I’ve never known a party to be more despised and not seem to realise it.
@G: What I cannot understand is how people seem to think it’s not the Green Party’s own fault and calling them the fall guys for the larger parties in the coalition, when they were the party of the coalition that have brought in the policies affecting most people’s pockets.
@Pat Barry: they’ve alienated the working class and hammered the middle class! As a part of the former, I really detest them, and I’m delighted they’ve been destroyed. I think their ignorance will finish them alogether… we live in hope!
At least one good thing came out of this election, the Greens got a good thrashing!
@Dave G Doe: call in to Scewfix, you need fixing,
Here we go again. All we can do is blame ourselves. Wait now until a few months we will be all saying country is gone never saw it so bad ! We keep voting them in what do we expect. Sad really
@Chris Mulhall: FF/FG has given this country economic prosperity. It’s no surprise we vote them back in.
Good campaign all, especially those who kept it civil. I may see you around again in five years if the journal is still a thing lol
Go wan the Monk
kebab and chips please, with garlic cheese sauce, and a tiny bit of harissa.
It’s difficult to find a good kebab these days and when you do ; it’s seriously expensive. Grilled spicy mutton and beef.
I have the munchies
Monk is in the Dail
@Fintan Pox: At least he’s not Fianna Fáil
@Fintan Pox: Yeah…. blue collar criminal. FF/FG white allow white collar criminality.
@Dave G Doe: davey joe eats mince pies
@Fintan Pox: It takes one to know one!
On the practical side, since he already has Garda surveillance outside his home, at least the neighbors won’t have protestors bothering them.
I think Toilet has already had enough takeaways
@Dave G Doe: dave g doe mince pie face
It is clear that under Mary Lou’s leadership SF will never get into government. Gaining 2 or 3 seats since 2020 isn’t progression. A new leader with new vigour and ideals would do wonders instead of the female, stale womansplainer we as SF supporters have to listen to daily.
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