Microsoft hands out 'private' folders

[dbarrow]

http://news.com.com/Microsoft+hands+out+private+folders/2100-1012_3-6092153.html?tag=newsmap

Microsoft has introduced Private Folder 1.0, free software that lets people store sensitive data on their home or work computers in a password-protected folder.

Private Folder 1.0, which is saved to a person's desktop, aims to shield private data from others when they have access to someone's computer or account. The potential fallout from IT administrators remains to be seen, should their colleagues opt to hide sensitive data in a private, password-protected folder. Microsoft does not offer support for the software. ...


* All of which already exists and has been part of XP and NTFS ... This may just be a GUI that the 'average' user can understand rather than dealing with security permissions that can be difficult to fathom even for advanced users.

[dbarrow]

Microsoft's Private Folder App Criticized
http://www.betanews.com/article/Microsofts_Private_Folder_App_Criticized/1152565309

* Hey! It's free! ... everybody is a critic!

[Tortanick]

That second artical is self contradictory.

Firstly its easily circumvated, Then there is no way to recover forgoten passwords,

Smart money says the first of those two is the true one.

Place your bets! this will first be defeated by:
a) something that ignores the password requirement and shows the files
b) a password cracker.

[mommalina]

:welcome: Tortanick! Glad to have you aboard. :yo:

A number of other X-Generation members have recently joined us. You're in good company. We older members look forward to your youthful perspective and insight about computers or other topics. I'd like to see a new thread, in the Tweaks, Tips, Hacks and Mods forum, with tips on how to supervise teenagers' use of computers.

We encourage and appreciate suggestions and comments about this relatively new board! Please post them in the Feedback forum. Thanks!

We invite you to also join us in our KH Computer Help Desk Paltalk chatroom each Wednesday night, from 9 pm EST until whenever. (That's where the subject of teenagers and computers came up.) Here's how to join us in our chatroom:

www.paltalk.com *
Chatrooms
Rooms
Computers & Technology
Computer Help & Advice
KH Computer Help Desk

* you need to download Paltalk messenger 8.3 software first if you don't already have Paltalk on your system.

In the chatroom you can find or give one-on-one, hands-on help for computer problems, alert us or learn about new developments in computers and software. Computer subjects get first priority. If there is a lull, then humor, finance, and whatever can be discussed intermittently. We try not to talk about politics or religion .... there's enough disagreement about antivirus scanners. LOL

For more information about the KH Computer Help Desk Paltalk Chatroom, see: http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/calendar.php?do=getinfo&day=2006-6-14&e=1&c=1

Hope you'll visit us there, too.

Again, welcome, Tortanick! :cheer2:

Lina

[Tortanick]

Thank you :)

I thought I was internet generation though, according to this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_generation), the dates fit, and I do spend most of my time on the Net.

As a teenager myself my solution to monitering teenagers is simple: "prey to the allmighty for phyic powers"

You may be able to rig something up with IPcop (http://ipcop.org/), URLfilter (http://www.urlfilter.net/), a subscription to Urlblacklist (http://urlblacklist.com/) and Block Out Traffic (http://blockouttraffic.de/) to block SSH and Tor.

Of course its not that simple, they may get a SSH server that listens on Port 80 for example. But even without Block Out Traffic the average person of any age will never get round it. Ultimately though, if the user has control over his computer then getting past a filter is possible.

Thats a summery of the Bad Solution, I could do it properly with screenshots and such but because of some problems with my home LAN I can't use IPcop, yet. The Good soluton means that after your superour parenting you can give unsupervised internet access without worrying.

I'll probobly give that Paltalk thing a try, any reason its not IRC?

[dbarrow]

Microsoft shutters Windows private folders

http://news.com.com/Microsoft+shutters+Windows+private+folders/2100-1012_3-6094481.html?tag=newsmap

Following an outcry from corporate customers, Microsoft is removing an add-on feature to Windows that allowed users to create password-protected folders.

The feature was introduced as a free download last week. Almost immediately, people raised questions over how businesses would grapple with the ability of individual workers to encrypt their data.

"Private Folder 1.0 was designed as a benefit for customers running genuine Windows," Microsoft said in a statement to CNET News.com on Friday. "However, we received feedback about concerns around manageability, data recovery and encryption, and based on that feedback, we are removing the application today. This change will take effect shortly."

[Tortanick]

Following that logic, why dose Windows still exist?

[mylanta]

I'll probobly give that Paltalk thing a try, any reason its not IRC?

Not really suree if that would produce the same thing Tortanick. We more or less meet those from KH who show up and also people wander in with problems as well as there are about 18 tech Chatrooms as well on there to attract. My understanding of IRC is you need a client for entry and I'm not quite sure who that would be here....

[Tortanick]

yeah you do need IRC clients, but they are readily avalible, as for Paltalk, dosn't that also need a cliant?

On a related note, how do you install PalTalk without My Search toolbar?

[mylanta]

yeah you do need IRC clients, but they are readily avalible, as for Paltalk, dosn't that also need a cliant?

On a related note, how do you install PalTalk without My Search toolbar?

My Search toolbar, I have never heard of it or seen it. You need to purge
Palnetaware and Paltalk from startup but it does not add any search bar I have ever seen. Paltalk is the client. Try it we have been using it for about 9 years rather successfully.

[Seth]

Hey Tortanick:)

Nice to see you here!

[Tortanick]

Thanks Seth, I heard about My Search being on their from Wikipedia. And see you on wensday

[mommalina]

Tortanick wrote: I thought I was internet generation though, according to this, the dates fit, and I do spend most of my time on the Net.

I did not know how to fully replicate the this in your post, so here's the url:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_generation

Thanks for bringing me up to date. Another example of what we can learn from our younger members!:)

Lina

[Pi rules]

mommalina, one way is to do it manually; type a bracket [ then url=<insert url>]<text to display>[/url]
example:
[ url = http: // kickenhardware .net ]Kicken Hardware[/url] (just remove spaces)
Shows Kicken Hardware (http://kickenhardware.net)
Or, you can highlight a word and click this button: http://www.kickenhardware.net/forum/images/editor/createlink.gif then paste the URL.

PS: More on topic, I can see why certain companies and corporations would be upset about this move. It would be too easy for employees to hide data and too many headaches for admins. to recover it once the employees forgot the password.

[mommalina]

Pi rules wrotemommalina, one way is to do it manually; type a bracket [ then url=<insert url>]<text to display>[/url]
example:
[ url = http: // kickenhardware .net ]Kicken Hardware[/url] (just remove spaces)
Shows Kicken Hardware
Or, you can highlight a word and click this button: then paste the URL.

Thanks, Pi. I'll play around this when I get a chance and have a clear head. Kind of hard teaching an old dog new tricks!

Lina

[dbarrow]

'Private Folder' Powertoy still available, though Microsoft removed links

http://www.tgdaily.com/2006/07/17/microsoft_private_folder_still_available/

Redmond (WA) - The news this morning was that Microsoft officially withdrew its support of "Private Folder," one of its "Powertoy" accessories for Windows XP - which was released only last week - reacting to complaints about how its folder encryption capability could be used to thwart the designs of system administrators. Despite this news, the product remains available, although links to the product's download page have been removed from its Windows Genuine Advantage Offers page. ...
...Nevertheless, links to the download page placed in blogs and news reports remain active at the time of this writing, including the one we embedded in the first paragraph above.

*Not so secure
...But as a TG Daily reader helped us discover last week, booting the Windows XP system in Safe Mode - where certain system services are disabled for diagnostic purposes - disabled the part of the Private Folder service that hides the directory from view. As a result, the directory structure itself becomes visible, although the directory contents remain encrypted using CRYPT32.DLL.

*further interesting read on encryption software