New Windows 11 AI feature: "one of the most ridiculous security failings I’ve ever seen"

[Boyd]

Tech companies are really getting carried away with new AI-enabled features. This new "recall" feature is really crazy, it basically keeps a record of everything you do and stores it in an unencryped database on your PC. I guess it would be a bonanza for hackers and forensic experts looking for criminal activity, but it's sure not something I would want (and evidently it will be enabled by default unless you turn it off). As they point out, the final version hasn't yet been rolled out so hopefully they will address some of these concerns.

Windows 11’s AI Recall feature is blasted by a security expert as ‘one of the most ridiculous security failings I’ve ever seen’

Stark warning on Recall – if AI functionality ships as it currently is, turn off the feature

www.techradar.com

 

[bobpbx]

Well, I use Linux, so I'm safe, and you guys are not. Too bad! My Linux is even better than Apple, which is also corruptible. Suck it up boys!

Just kidding. I got so tired of hearing talk like that, I just tuned out. I'm more fearful of the Cloud, frankly. The pressure to use it is enormous, but I resist, and don't say "oh, I love the Cloud Bob, you need to get onboard". I can't hear you! I'm kind of glad I'm 70 now, I think the changes to come will be more than I can bear. I've been complaining about software being loaded with new stupid features making them more complicated, and the fact that you now have to pay a yearly fee to use Microsoft instead of plugging in the SW you bought and use it without hassle. Daily I shout at the computer when another pop up comes up and says "you need to get X software to be more productive because the old software is no good anymore and will give you a virus. I heard a good quote about operating software the other day: "They don't want you to own it, but they do want you to pay for it."

 

[Boyd]

Microsoft’s Recall Feature Is Even More Hackable Than You Thought

A new discovery that the AI-enabled feature’s historical data can be accessed even by hackers without administrator privileges only contributes to the growing sense that the feature is a “dumpster fire.”

www.wired.com

 

[Boyd]

I'm more fearful of the Cloud, frankly. The pressure to use it is enormous, but I resist, and don't say "oh, I love the Cloud Bob, you need to get onboard".

What is your definition of "the cloud"? Because I think it just describes a computing infrastructure where data is spread (and probably replicated) over a network on devices in different places. This differs from traditional storage where you can specifically say that your data is stored on /dev/disk4s1 on a server named megamax in room 254 of the Acme Building downtown.

So, I think the concept of "the cloud" makes a lot of sense. If the Acme building burns down, all your data would be gone (could possibly restore from off-site backups, but those would be old and it would take awhile... since their offices just burned down!) With a cloud infrastructure, in theory you would lose nothing and might not even realize one of their data centers just burned down.

You are probably already using "the cloud" for your most sensitive data because your doctor, bank, insurance company, even government agencies use it. I don't actively use my data in "the cloud" (don't store documents or photos on iCloud, for example, but I do use it to backup my phone). I also use BackBlaze to backup around 12 terabytes of media and data to their cloud.

Do you have any kind of off-site backup? If there were a catastrophic fire that destroyed everything in your home, could you recover your most important data?

 

[bobpbx]

I don't actively use my data in "the cloud" (don't store documents or photos on iCloud, for example, but I do use it to backup my phone).

Do you have any kind of off-site backup? If there were a catastrophic fire that destroyed everything in your home, could you recover your most important data?

So, you are just like me. I don't store my data on the cloud. I don't trust it to not get hacked. Would you believe (yes, you would), that I have been notified that my personal data has been hacked 5 times already from storage centers like BCBS, Office of Personnel Management, Barnabus Health, etc, etc. They have all been so embarrassed they have given me free 1 to 3 years of identity theft insurance. I don't trust anyone anymore.

And yes, I backup really important stuff on memory sticks.

 

[Boyd]

So, you are just like me

Not really, as I said...

I also use BackBlaze to backup around 12 terabytes of media and data to their cloud.

Pretty much all of my data is stored in their cloud. But it's encrypted, so it would be very difficult for anyone to do anything with it. But I don't use the cloud as a primary storage medium. For example, Google Chromebooks have almost no storage built-in and everything is stored on Google's servers. The selling point is that it's always backed up and available on any device, anywhere. This is also encrypted, but Google does not have a very good record when it comes to privacy. The basic problem there is that Google's whole business model revolves around discovering as much personal information as they can about you, which they then use to target you for advertisers.

Apple has iCloud which can be used similarly with laptops and phones that have very little built-in storage. All your data is held on Apple's servers. Again, this can be very handy for the same reasons. A few years ago, the computer I gave my daughter's family had a disk failure. Aside from fixing the problem, I was concerned about recovering their data... but they just laughed. They didn't have anything stored on that disk at all, it was all on iCloud! In that case, it was a good thing since they didn't lose anything from a failed hard drive. I don't think this is unusual for younger people today, they just aren't so concerned about privacy. My son in law didn't even have a passcode on his phone at that time - I tried to explain why he should and obviously didn't reach him. Currently in his 40's, I noticed that he does have one today however, LOL.

I don't use iCloud like that, I want all my data on my own computer. But Apple does have a much better record when it comes to privacy at least. They just want to sell you computers and services like streaming, so they aren't as motivated to snoop as Google.

 

[bobpbx]

Not really, as I said...



Pretty much all of my data is stored in their cloud. But it's encrypted, so it would be very difficult for anyone to do anything with it. But I don't use the cloud as a primary storage medium. For example, Google Chromebooks have almost no storage built-in and everything is stored on Google's servers. The selling point is that it's always backed up and available on any device, anywhere. This is also encrypted, but Google does not have a very good record when it comes to privacy. The basic problem there is that Google's whole business model revolves around discovering as much personal information as they can about you, which they then use to target you for advertisers.

Apple has iCloud which can be used similarly with laptops and phones that have very little built-in storage. All your data is held on Apple's servers. Again, this can be very handy for the same reasons. A few years ago, the computer I gave my daughter's family had a disk failure. Aside from fixing the problem, I was concerned about recovering their data... but they just laughed. They didn't have anything stored on that disk at all, it was all on iCloud! In that case, it was a good thing since they didn't lose anything from a failed hard drive. I don't think this is unusual for younger people today, they just aren't so concerned about privacy. My son in law didn't even have a passcode on his phone at that time - I tried to explain why he should and obviously didn't reach him. Currently in his 40's, I noticed that he does have one today however, LOL.

I don't use iCloud like that, I want all my data on my own computer. But Apple does have a much better record when it comes to privacy at least. They just want to sell you computers and services like streaming, so they aren't as motivated to snoop as Google.

Okay yeah, I missed that statement. But you did say "I want all my data on my own computer". Whatever.