Hotmail social networking shreds your privacy: get over it

You might’ve noticed that I haven’t been posting much in the past few days. Now you can find out why.

Windows Secrets Newsletter just hit the stands, and the lead article (from an author you may recognize) tells a sobering tale about how Microsoft pulls information about you from previously obscure sources, mashing it, and dishing it out to people you may not know.

My wife stumbled on the problem when she logged on to Hotmail a couple of days ago. That, in itself, is an interesting story, but it’ll wait until another day.

For now, if you have a Windows Live ID (hotmail address, Life Spaces account, whatever), run over to the Windows Secrets Newsletter Top Story page and see what you need to do in order to protect your privacy. Yes, you have to take this bull by the horns. No, Microsoft doesn’t give a hoot about your personal – potentially embarrassing – information.

Clean-install Windows 7 from the upgrade disc

I’ve just published one of the most important (and best-received) articles I’ve ever written for Windows Secrets Newsletter.

If you’re thinking about installing Windows 7, or if you’re in the middle of getting it working, check out this week’s Top Story. It tells you everything you need to know to get an upgrade to work.

Windows Secrets Security Baseline

This week’s edition of Windows Secrets Newsletter just hit the stands, and Ryan Russel’s Top Story discusses changes in the WSN Security Baseline. (Windows Secrets Newsletter appears in both a free version and a paid version – and you get to decide how much you want to pay for the paid version. The Top Story always appears in the free version and the paid version.)

In summary:

1. Use a hardware firewall. WSN has some good recommendations. In fact, any router you buy these days has a fully functional hardware firewall.

2. Install a security suite. WSN recommends Norton Internet Security. I’m too cheap. I still use AVG Free, or Avira Antivir Free.

3. Check for updates regularly. Watch this site for the latest, particularly on Microsoft patches. Make sure you download, install, update and religiously run Secunia PSI.

4. Select a more-secure browser. WSN and I strongly recommend Firefox.

The PC you save may be your own.