Are the new security measures excessive

Hi All
Have you noticed recently the new EU reg that requires you to agree on cookie usage by third parties. IMHO you should "reject all" or certainly opt to look at the detailsand "legitimate use". or just lay back and enjoy.
In the same vein, we have an enhanced verification now requiring not just your Gmail, Microsoft, login etc email account but also a Captcha ru human thing, one time pin from sending a msg to your phone and so on. You would think that you sign in for the day on your pc that would be enough but I lose count of the number of times I am asked for a Gmail account verify. It just seems every step I go I need to prove myself.
Then there's the tortuous scenario of cleaning up all those passwords created years ago which you though you'd written down properly which the system now says is not recognised. Password recovery takes forever and can be impossible. Changing your password often very hard and time consuming. I spent 3 weeks cleaning up after 10 years when I had to migrate to W11.
That showed me how invasive all this is. I swear there is a holy war going on between Microsoft and Google for the monopoly control of your life access
Did you know there is an Microsoft account pw and a separate Microsoft windows account pw and also an Microsoft Local account pw for you pc plus a Hello Windows PIN. I am mortally afraid this will one day brick my PC. Microsoft wont recognise my pw for when I registered my kit even though I wrote it down faithfully. I rely on a PIN I was bullied into config at the time. I am too scared to try and disable this.

Another factoid - when you buy a new pc be sure to start it up without internet connection (small box bottom left of screen) or it will force you to sign up to an Microsoft account. And the reason for this is - Microsoft has perpetual access to pester you with product and promotions, marketing , data gathering etc.

What else, where is our consumer protection - feel free to contribute

With the permeation of 5G and the IOT, you have the intelligent crapper from Japan coming to your local store ready to monitor your health on the John , be sure to enter your pw or you may have to hold that to log out for authorisation or you dont get to leave your house or start your Tesla (wait till it finishes its call home to Elon, where youve been, how you were driving, who was in the car, why did you stop in that layby at that time)

Dont get me started on Smart meters and Energy Companies forcing you into monthly direct debits with a payment of their choice, changing your tarrif at their whim.

I have worked in the IT industry for 40+ years and worked at sites, [Industrial, Scientific, Financial, Military ... ] where security is really serious, so I do not think that Microsoft is over the top in trying to help users secure their information - there are many dangers in the computer field and also these days in the real world.

Of course everyone has a choice and a right to make it. If anyone wants to ignore the world as it is now that is their decision, of course if the route taken is to ignore the world as it is, then they would in my belief be in a worse state than at present

I seriously doubt that I could

My view on this is that less requirements on passwords etc but more emphasis on biological profiles would probably be far better these days. It really annoys me especially when using a Credit card in another country and I buy something you have to get that wretched "text to phone" for a code to authorize your purchase.

There's plenty of biological scanners these days -- my old HP envy laptop from 2016 has a built in fingerprint sensor so the technology has been around for ages. Phones all have cameras etc so that shouldn't be a problem either.

I've nothing against security - but using C20 methods to protect against C21 attacks is just plain bonkers. Use modern methods.

I still think though around 99% of problems on HOME computers (not enterprise / corporate systems) will come from SCAMS rather than viral infections / old fashioned hacking.

Slightly OT -- quite a bit of progress is being made in the realms of Quantum Computing -- if they ever get off the ground then security really will be a nightmare even with biological methods -- since the quantum computer could say scan all the entire worlds databases for fingerprints etc in a very short time. Then security will be a nightmare. !!!

Cheers
jimbo

I recently lost my phone. Getting internet banking onto my new phone was a nightmare, security code via a PC, three different passwords, another security code mailed to me, which had expired by the time it got to me because of Christmas and strike action, three phone calls. Finally, got it back yesterday. Hellish frustrating, but it does reassure me that someone hijacking my account won't have it easy.

Biometrics on the PC could make life a lot easier, IF it's properly integrated with applications and browsers.

BrianS said:

Have you noticed recently the new EU reg that requires you to agree on cookie usage by third parties.

Click to expand...

Good idea badly implemented, just like cookie noticies, which I block.
3rd party trackers rely on scripts not so much pm cookies these days.

BrianS said:

Did you know there is an Microsoft account pw and a separate Microsoft windows account pw and also an Microsoft Local account pw for you pc plus a Hello Windows PIN. I am mortally afraid this will one day brick my PC. Microsoft wont recognise my pw for when I registered my kit even though I wrote it down faithfully. I rely on a PIN I was bullied into config at the time. I am too scared to try and disable this.

Click to expand...

MS Authentificator covers this and if your forget MS password or PIN or it gets reset, you can use it as well.

bronskimac said:

I recently lost my phone. Getting internet banking onto my new phone was a nightmare

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Yeah this a bummer, even if you have multiple devices authorized, they accept codes only from the main one.

TairikuOkami said:

Good idea badly implemented, just like cookie noticies, which I block.
3rd party trackers rely on scripts not so much pm cookies these days.
View attachment 50632


MS Authentificator covers this and if your forget MS password or PIN or it gets reset, you can use it as well.


Yeah this a bummer, even if you have multiple devices authorized, they accept codes only from the main one.

Click to expand...

Time to switch Banks then -- any sensible bank would just block anything from that device and then you could set up a new one. I'm not a fan of most Banks -- customer service has all but vanished but I haven't heard of Banks not bllocking any activity from a device once you report it as missing. If you've just mis-laid it and find it later they can easily unblock the device again.

Cheers
jimbo

I am on the other side of excessive security measures. I am not in the EU, but by and large, I find MS' security and privacy measures quite appropriate and perhaps a bit lacking, sometimes.

For example, I find it a bit offensive that I see ads for things that I looked for elsewhere. If that happens, I wish that MS' strictest settings was even more strict.

Hi @barman58
Of course everyone has a choice and a right to make it. If anyone wants to ignore the world as it is now that is their decision
But thats my whole point, you dont really have a choice. You want to use your PC with Windows OEM installed you gotta sign up to authorise and then provide a load of personal data.
I made it a mission 15 years ago only to register as far as possible with fake info - NOT BECAUSE I HAVE MALICIOUS INTENT IN ANYWAY.
It was simply that I objected at the way I was being forced to give away an unneccessary amount of personal data - for no justifiable cause - ie the start of the Data Mining Culture.

Its a strategy that sort of worked but then it was never seriously challenged until recently when it became important to clean up all those passwords I had generated over many years.

Remember how it started
minimum 8 chars
no obvious recognition
8 chars at least one UC
8 chars at least one UC and one symbol
As above plus phone one time pin verify

As if thats not bad enough you have Google and Microsoft competing for dominance of your life with subtle variations on the above to confuse you.

EG when you register on a site with an email and A PASSWORD , why do you have to give YOUR email password - or it wont work. You dont need my email pw to send me a verify msg. I havent figured that yet. Its all too exhausting.

Why cant I have a gmail address with my pw and a gmail account with a gm pw. Its all so obstructive with Google I find. It wants to be in your face from when you power up in the morning. Yes I could find workarounds but that involves time an remembering what I did - come back a week/month later???

It took me 3 weeks to clear up 15 years of cumulative mess/workarounds. I cant use my old (25yr) hotmail anymore, its been gobbled up by Microsoft and you have to use Outlook. Scary stuff really
And you suggest if I dont like it I can get off the train - if only.

@jimbo45
I still think though around 99% of problems on HOME computers (not enterprise / corporate systems) will come from SCAMS rather than viral infections / old fashioned hacking.
Im sure you are right - humble HOME stuff has no value to anyone else generally, unless your are a Politico or a villain or Person of Interest. Of course I havent address the area of child access - but then social media is a whole Pandoras Box I never use - lets not go there pls.

@barman58
I have worked in the IT industry for 40+ years and worked at sites, [Industrial, Scientific, Financial, Military ... ] where security is really serious,
Well thats another world, way beyond the Civilian - and sure there's reason for serious protection.
Im address naive domestic Users here.

@bronskimac
Biometrics on the PC could make life a lot easier,

I have yet to see any of these work properly. IMHO vastly over-hyped like the Philosophers Stone

Voice recognition - failed when you get a cold etc
Finger - failed can be cloned with sellotape
Iris - unreliable can be faked with contact lenses
DNA - well lick my phone.

Indeed there is no perfect security, there are always one or more vulnerabilities. All this double triple pw phone msg verify stuff is just an Industries' desperation - sticking plaster over the cracks - and we are stuck with it.

If you really do feel that strongly then there's a clear and obvious solution. Abandon Windows and install any version of Linux/BSD that takes your fancy. There is absolutely no need to go anywhere near any Microsoft, Google or whatever offered software or services you wish to avoid. There is an obvious learning curve in adopting an alternative but it would probably involve significantly less time than what you appear to have been investing in your methods. Furthermore it need not involve any additional financial outlay, unless you choose and are able to reward those operating system and software developers whose products you regularly use with occasional donations for the quality of what they provide.

It's only the choices you make that cause your perceived issues.

@LeLibran
If you really do feel that strongly then there's a clear and obvious solution. Abandon Windows and install any version of Linux

I should have done that 15 years ago, its too late for me to change horses now and Ive been forced into W11 and its opened up a can of worms which I find really scary.

FWIW I have a Protonmail account and it promises anonymity and security from all these prying eyes. I may well migrate my emails across to that platform. I have their VPN as well, a premium service for £50 pa. This is no plug btw just a personal opinion.
I too am really annoyed at being targeted with ads and they know my location, One site keeps offering me personal services 2 miles away and this isnt a result of me watching porn - where did that come from, suppose kids saw that. I just find it so much more intrusive in the last 6 months? I'll have to keep my VPN on but then some agressive sites know this and stop working

I would dearly like to get away from Google and Microsoft but you have to do it slowly and carefully or you get locked out.. Its a job for next months with other things piling up

The thing that gets me is all the amount of time I have to waste battling with all these invasions of my screen time. If I was still working freelance I would be very annoyed at such a waste of my productive time

Here's what I have done:
1) I only use a Microsoft account and have set up account recovery methods, including an account recovery code that is printed out and stored in a safe location. I do have a Google account, but only because I have an Android phone. And I've set up account recovery methods for that account as well, but I rarely use it. I also have a non-Microsoft, non-Google email account for account recovery purposes.
2) I use a password manager (Bitwarden) to keep up with account logins. It allows creation of new random passwords and has a browser extension that will remember new accounts and can be set to auto-fill log-ins. Requires only logging in using email and master password once and can be set to lock the vault after a set time or when the browser is closed.
3) I use Firefox as my default browser, with Microsoft Edge as an alternate. Enhanced Tracking Protection is turned on. Privacy Badger and uBlock Origin extensions are installed, as well. I rarely see ads or pop-ups. Firefox is set to clear history, with a few exceptions for sites I stay logged into, when I close the browser.
4) I don't use Google or Bing search engines. Instead I use DuckDuckGo. Again, I see few ads.
5) In Windows 11, under Settings>Privacy & Security, I turned everything off.

It does take some time and effort to set everything up the first time, but it reduces a lot of the distractions when navigating the Web.

Hi @Tink009

1) Microsoft Account recovery - yeah but you have to give a shed load of personal info, including friends family etc. you contacted. Google also very controlling

My take is that you need to assume that one day something will break and you will lose access. I lost my Hotmail after 25 years when I migrated to W11. Its not serious more sentimental - I think - dont know until I need some ancient record.
But I will plan to ensure my important data is no left in their domain. I keep a local copy on my m/c under my control.
IMHO people using third party storage need to consider their position (domestic here enterprise have their own protections)

2) Bitwarden - it did work on my old W8.1 m/c but needed yet another password and it was intrusive - it asks you if you want to remember and then you have to log in. Firefox native pw manager just pops up and you click ok but its clumsy. Bitwarden came with my W11 ug but I found it wasnt doing its job. I think you have to sign up for a subscription account?
I keep a written copy of all my validated pws - though its not a perfect system as I found and inexplicably it has failed me over the years - was it me not copying properly? Didnt get the full credential set down? Dont know

3) Yup loaded Ublock and Privacy Badger

4) Big negative against Google and Bing spot on. DDG way to go.

5) W11 Privacy and security 100% spot on.

and I would add

6) This new directive that pops up a consent flash for cookie use when you visit every site - "Reject All" but beware ther are a lot of dirty tricks and interpretations be played. IMHO click on "manage" and look closely at "vendor" "legitimate use" etc and be warned these are sometime hidden and you need to dig a bit as I found from the Daily Mail Site. If I hadnt found the button I would have consented to 100+ agencies looking to use my data. This cookie control seems badly implemented but good in principle.

The security measures are there for your protection. If you feel they are intrusive don't use them and live with your choice.

As has been said many times - weakest link to any security system is the end user. This includes the tin-hat brigade.

Good luck.

Just get a 16 TB Sata drive and connect it via a powered SATA->USB connector. Then backup locally everything you want - then remove / disconnect the drive. You can get a decent 7200 RPM 16TB sata drive for around 250 EUR. Should be plenty enough backup storage for most domestic systems.

When buying these sorts of drives though check that they are SATA otherwise you might end up with a SAS / SCSI one which won't connect via SATA>USB connector.

I have 2 of these attached to a NAS -- no probs whatsoever. They also work perfectly on Windows too.



Cheers
jimbo

@jimbo45
AFAIK Microsoft prohibits you form restoring from a USB drive. thats why i opted for an internal duplicate drive to go in my vacant D slot

BrianS said:

@jimbo45
AFAIK Microsoft prohibits you form restoring from a USB drive. thats why i opted for an internal duplicate drive to go in my vacant D slot

Click to expand...

????

The only restriction Ms has is that you have a Windows License for the copy of Windows you are running on a computer. There's no prohibition about restoring anything from a USB drive !!!!! Stand alone bootable Macrium restore can restore an image from a USB drive, you can even run a full copy of Windows from an external drive --assuming you have a valid Windows license -- simply create a vhdx physical file i.e not a vm, and install windows to it via dism /Apply-Image. Then install the bootloader and it's 100% bootable runnable Windows from an external device.(Not just the installation disk but a full running Windows just like you can have on an internal (usually the "C" drive).

Cheers
jimbo

It was Macrium free that told me I couldnt restore W11 from a usb drive

BrianS said:

@jimbo45
AFAIK Microsoft prohibits you form restoring from a USB drive. thats why i opted for an internal duplicate drive to go in my vacant D slot

Click to expand...

In the other thread, I thought you were suggesting that the (main) reason why you went for an internal duplicate drive was just because you wanted to simulate a crash, i.e. by physically swapping the drives around, inside your desktop PC so that you would then be able to use this particular hardware setup to run reliability tests of various different imaging/cloning software solutions like Macrium/Acronis etc., as you were saying you didn't want to put blind trust in these kinds of software solutions. To investigate results you could always decide to learn how to use real forensic tools (e.g., FTKImager combined with a hardware-based write protection). But I trust the Rescue Media bootable ISO file of Acronis True Image 2021 combined with Ventoy, at least if using the method that I have described in that other thread.

That is, to use the bootable Rescue Media ISO file of Acronis True Image 2021 to create, onto your C: partition─because it's faster than a typical slow USB storage device especially when your C: partition is located on a fast internal SSD so then it doesn't take that long to get this job done─a new image file of your C: partition [with file/folder exclusions that you can easily specify if needed] and that also includes all the other partitions that also are needed to be able to boot in Windows normally. (And also remember to check the Verify image checkbox whilst the image creation is in progress.) So that, next, you could then use FastCopy to copy this same image file onto a USB storage device and/or onto whatever you want to use for storing backups of files. That is, making backup copies of this file just like you would make backup copies of any other file. A file is a file is still a file so, you can just continue to do your work on Windows whilst FastCopy does the copying. Or if you prefer the slowness of copying files with File Explorer and/or of copying files with whatever someone else had recommended to use, then use that.

BrianS said:

It was Macrium free that told me I couldnt restore W11 from a usb drive

View attachment 50835

Click to expand...

Where in this User Guide does it say that you can't restore Windows from a USB drive?

@hdmi

That is, to use the bootable Rescue Media ISO file of Acronis True Image 2021 to create, onto your C: partition─because it's faster than a typical slow USB storage device especially when your C: partition is located on a fast internal SSD so then it doesn't take that long to get this job done─a new image file of your C: partition ..............

IMHO thats way too nerdy. Think you could sell all that to a fee paying client who simply wants a simple system/apps back up method?

A parallel system/apps clone of C: onto internal D: drive seems entirely sensible and simple. How long it takes to do the iso img isnt relevant as its only done occasionaly when a significant change is made (new app added etc)
It can be tested by alternately manual startup booting up to C:/D: (I used to do this on a W7 m/c to go into Linux). To repeat personal data/work files I can manage myself and keep on an ext usb drive

What is wrong with this philosophy - pls dont get nerdy again its wasted on me