According to a recent report from the popular YouTube channel Mental Outlaw, Microsoft is decrypting encrypted files that users store on its cloud services.
Security researcher Andrew Brandt discovered that any files transferred to or stored in Microsoft’s cloud systems, including OneDrive and SharePoint, are scanned by Microsoft even if they are encrypted.
Brandt works in malware analysis, where he obtains malware samples to analyze how they work and help mitigate future attacks. However, when he tried to send password-protected zip files containing malware samples to his colleagues using SharePoint, Microsoft flagged and deleted the files from secure encrypted files inside of his OneDrive account, even though the files were not accessible without password level access.
This suggests that Microsoft is able to obtain users’ passwords and decrypt encrypted files inside of its cloud services. It is unclear exactly how Microsoft is decrypting the files, but Brandt’s findings indicate that even encryption may not protect files stored on Microsoft cloud services.
If you value your digital privacy, it may be best to avoid storing sensitive data on Microsoft’s cloud services. Using non-Microsoft products can help ensure your data remains secure and private.
Switching to the Linux operating system is one option for increasing privacy and security. Linux is an open-source alternative to Windows that is not owned by a single company.
Linux distributions like Ubuntu offer a free operating system with robust security features and the ability to control data collection. When using Linux, you do not have to worry about the OS decrypting your files and scanning your data without permission. By moving away from Windows to Linux, you can take back control of your data and digital privacy.
Discuss Microsoft Decrypting files and the Linux computer Operating System as an alternative to Microsoft Windows, in the Jeff.pro Technology Forums at https://forums.jeff.pro
