Re: Windows 95 Espionage ( ?? )

[mbrennen () maverick intecom com (Tatu Ylonen)]

On Tue, 6 Jun 1995 10:26:08 +0200  Bernd Lehle wrote:
> Can anybody confirm this ? A little late for April Fool's Day... :-)
>
> > >  Microsoft officials confirm that beta versions of Windows 95 include a
> > >  small viral routine called Registration Wizard.  It interrogates every
> > >  system on a network gathering intelligence on what software is being
run
> > >  on which machine.  It then creates a complete listing of both
Microsoft's
> > >  and competitors' products by machine, which it reports to Microsoft
when
> > >  customers sign up for Microsoft's Network Services, due for launch
later
> > >  this year.
> > >
> > >  "In Short" column, page 88, _Information Week_ magazine, May 22, 1995


No idea about accuracy of any of this, but I saw this yesterday.

---------------
Michael Brennen                    Intecom, Inc.
mbrennen () intecom com               5057 Keller Springs
(214) 447-8074                     Dallas,  TX  75248


**************************************************************************
from The Risks Digest, volume 17 issue 6 at URL:

http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/


re: Microsoft plans corporate espionage

<ASaunders () aol com>
Wed, 24 May 1995 15:02:16 -0400


cnorloff () tecnet1 jcte jcs mil writes:

" Microsoft officials confirm that beta versions of Windows 95 include a
small viral routine called Registration Wizard.  ...

Unfortunately Information Week got it wrong.  The registration wizard is
nothing more than an electronic version of the ordinary reg card that ships
with every software product today.  Its use is optional, it does not
interrogate every PC on a network, and the user chooses what information
will be transmitted.

I have enclosed a copy of a response we wrote on this, which you can get
from ftp.microsoft.com/peropsys/win_news/regwiz.txt if you wish.

Alec Saunders, Microsoft Corporation, alecs () microsoft com

--

A recent trade publication article contained inaccuracies regarding the
purpose and operation of the Registration Wizard, the on-line registration
application in Windows 95.  The purpose of the Registration Wizard is to
offer an electronic version of the paper-based Registration Card that
traditionally comes with all Microsoft products.  The Registration Wizard
asks for similar information to that listed in the paper-based registration
card, such as your hardware configuration and applications usage.  Just like
with a traditional registration card, providing this information is
optional.  A customer using the Registration Wizard receives dialog prompts
asking them whether they would like to send this information.  They must
actively click 'send' for any information to be sent.

There are lots of benefits to customers that provide this information - such
as product update mailings and improved product support because the product
support engineer can refer to your exact system configuration information
on-line.  In the end, though, sending this information is optional and a
conscious decision by the user.

Microsoft traditionally does not make information gathered during the
registration process available to third-parties.  If the customer chooses to
send system and software information to Microsoft with the Registration
Wizard, it is a one-way, one-time occurrence and takes place at the time the
customer selects 'send.'