Microsoft's "Spy Guide" Handbook Leaked Online

Glad I'm using PCLinuxOS. Microsoft and Google are so intrusive it is frightening.

Cryptome.org is a great website that is performing an important public service. Bravo!

I thought facts can't be copyrighted...this and corporations abusing the already messed up DMCA for stuff they don't want leaked out is truly bothersome

also bravo to cryptome for exposing the BS and taking a stand for what he/it believes in!

This is nothing new. Comcast has a similar document explaining the correct procedures for law enforcement to request information. All it does is attempt to organize large number of requests they receive into a formal, organized and supported procedure. Rather than have law enforcement call and make demands on receptionists or the cable guy.

is anyone actually reading the document? its not like they're storing very controversial stuff.. login info for your msn? well.. duh..
the emails you get to you hotmail adress? again, duh..
some ip adress info? yeah ok but compared to google thats nothing

they're basically saying they are storing the stuff you put on their online services, hardly a suprise.

the real wtf i why this document is secret, esp since this information is available else where but perhaps not in this concetrated form..

it would be real interesting to see googles corresponding document though..

Have read the complete document as well as Pay-pals Document and face-books document.

Its fair to say that details of your Account creation, User submitted information on those Accounts that you have supplied on their creation as well as various Logs of IP addresses and times you have logged on to their services are held, for a period of time or indefinitely in the cases off accounts on E-bay...

So it goes without saying that there must be a procedure for the Law enforcement to get this information with the correct court orders to help them solve crime!

The thing that scares people is all the data that is out there that they have submitted and who has access to it, but then, lets see everyone try live without ever entering any information into the Net at all, just dont go online if you are worried about it..

The documents are detailed but not detrimental as first laid out to be in the article, they are a matter of fact and they just confirm the details being held on user accounts which is wild information in any case

Lets see toms hardware policy whilst we are at it, that would be refreshing to see a site give that up without it being snooped, honesty is the best policy..

Slimy SoBs!

Im glad that im pirating the crap out of them since the 90s.

I am using Ubuntu Studio. I am right there with you bro. Or sis. lol.

Actually, after reading the first few pages.. It really doesn't look like much! It's just a detailed accounting of what happens with their online services. Police need detailed information especially if they are questioning someone about internet information. Someone can easily lie and say this and say that. If the police believed them, they wouldn't even have known they could have looked into something a little farther and maybe have found out some information.

This documentation could be beneficial to CRIMINALS though!

Ignorance is bliss.

Interesing article. It seems to me the guide is just trying to establish a protocol to keep things frem getting disorganized.

It's just the handbook for online services and how law enforcement may request your info, access to your cloud files, etc... I was hoping it would be some "how to use NSA_KEY" bullshit...

Anyone who would spy on my internet habits must have a life even more boring than mine.

Network Solutions sucks. Had some clients with it and it was very slow. Now I see they are also ready and willing to give out customer info and close your site.

Police can subpoena dates, times, and IP addresses for logins and can request any emails you leave saved on their servers? If a judge is involved for a subpoena, I see nothing surprising.

It does tell you how to basically reset your accounts with them, but they don't store much other than what could be used for building a timeline from what I see. I do wonder what my account shows, it's from before Microsoft bought Hotmail and I've changed the name and profile information on that account many times.

Mr. Young should be arrested and put in jail for posting this document on the internet. Anyone else who illegally posts confidential company documents should suffer the same fate. Mr. Young is a complete moron. Microsoft is even more stupid for withdrawing its complaint.

For once this has nothing to do with MS or Google being "intrusive". I had a look at the document and it is nothing MS has to be frightened or ashamed off, they just documented (and quite well, I must say) the data they retain, as requested by law!!!
This is not MS being nosy and wanting to track you in every aspect. If there is something wrong with it, it has to do with the law.
If you develop a whatever internet access service you must (by law) implement something like that.
Do you think that Ubuntu's "cloud" services are any different?

I am a Linux users (and supporter) from many years, but I don't dislike MS. I just thought that this article needed a clarification. From the headlines I initially thought that the leaked document was actually about MS spying on customers!

The leaked document is clearly showing how micro$uxx, and other corporate entities active in storing private data, bend over to please the modern big brother/nanny police state.
Also, it's a good incentive to never store any of your data on some third party corporate network, if you care for it.

micro$uxx would (ab)use any avenue, legal or not, to get what it wants.


And you should be shipped to the next psychiatric ward. micro$uxx backed off, because it was illegally abusing an already abusive law, and NS did as well.

Thanks Tom's for the link. This is exactly what I have been saying all along. I would bet big money that the last several OS from Microsoft who worked with the NAS and who knows what other Federal agencies while developing have built in back doors too. I always get flamed by the little MS fan boys but the proof is in facts. I don't do illegal stuff, it's about principle. I run Linux and feel somewhat secure that big brother can not easily spy on me.
If you trust the big Federal government then I say you must be working for them or just a complete idiot.

I've read all 22 pages of the document. It is nothing more than a corporate compliance document that details what information is stored by their system (IP addresses, emails that haven't been deleted, etc.) and for how long. There is nothing seedy or untoward going on. All ISPs, search enginesa and such are required to keep this data for a period of time. It certainly isn't a "spy guide." I have no love for the federal (or state) government, and I definitely feel they are way too intrusive (and this is true regardless of which party is in power).

As for Microsoft, my expert opinion is that they are motivated, as all companies should be, by profit. It is not profitable if they public thinks you are spying on them. THAT is why they didn't want the document leaked. I believe that if this stuff wasn't required by law, they wouldn't do it at all.

Not sure why people are fretting over this little crap. Your cellphones are tapped, your mail is monitored, and who cares what OS you use your frig'n ISP is storing data and where you went at what time. I'm more worried about RIAA and MPAA finding stuff they "see as" DCMA breach then my emails or IM's. Not to mention you money transactions are monitored by our bank as well as you gas water and electricity. Get over it people your being monitored 24/7, and this is just a small part of it.

Regulas, you have a wonderful stable and mostly secure OS. Don't delude yourself into thinking that Big Brother couldn't hack your system, insert whatever the hell they wanted, remove any trace that they were there, and then run your ass off the plank for what the put into your system.

And they could do it without breaking a sweat.

Your agruement is as weak at the arguement that OS X is more secure than Windows. It is as weak as 'I have 3 firewalls, and blah blah blah'. Straight up, if someone wants to hack my machine, they will eventually get in. It doesn't matter what OS you are running, or how many firewalls you are behind.

Ask the NSA, they know about keeping a secure system. They are also the best in the world at hacking one.

After all the crying from everyone, I have a funny feeling that if their identity is stolden and money goes missing they will be running to the government "Its your job to find who did this". And you will be happy to know that there is a trail left by people on servers/ISPs/accounts.

There are 300 000 000 (3 hundred million) people in the USA, and every one of us is a person why would the government (they are people too) really care to follow your every turn if you are doing the right thing? But if they can follow a suspected criminal with these things and save lifes why do you care? (oh sorry they dont really care how much porn you look at, what dating sites you have been to, but if you login to several bank accounts with different names/identitys yes they will look closer)

I agree the FEDS are real good at there job of spying on people. I quality Router is where your online security starts. I have a mini Mac but I use Linux on my laptop for my banking and online shopping because I trust Linux more than OS X and do not trust Windows for anything except a gaming machine.
Here is a nice utility for Linux users if you think you may be compromised: rkhunter

I noticed that cryptome was down for a day or so and I wondered why. Young has been posting the correspondence with MS on the site since it has been back up (interesting read).