Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Windows 10 Shares Your Wi-Fi Password With Contacts

Posted by samzenpus on from the do-not-share dept.

gsslay writes: The Register reports that Windows 10 will include, defaulted on, "Wi-Fi Sense" which shares wifi passwords with Outlook.com contacts, Skype contacts and, with an opt-in, Facebook friends. This involves Microsoft storing the wifi passwords entered into your laptop which can then be used by any other person suitably connected to you. If you don't want someone's Windows 10 passing on your password, Microsoft has two solutions; only share passwords using their Wi-Fi Sense service, or by adding "_optout" to your SSID.

4 of 487 comments (clear)

  1. if that's true, by unami · · Score: 5, Insightful

    no guests with windows laptops on my wifi - i'm not going to change my ssid, microsoft style. ugh. i guess this issue will resolve itself after a short shitstorm.

    1. Re:if that's true, by hawguy · · Score: 5, Insightful

      The Slashdot summary is pure FUD. In the article itself you can see an image of the settings, with a large checkbox to enable/disable sharing with Outlook, Skype and Facebook independently and it also has a large slider above those where you can disable it entirely.

      Did you read the box?

      Save on mobile data usage with Wifi Sense. Join in and get connected to WiFi. By using WiFi Sense, you agree that it can use your location.

      Who doesn't want to save on mobile data usage!? How many people will opt-out? Where does it say that by opting in that they are sharing their Wifi passphrase with everyone they share to? It may be obvious to you, but not to 99% of the people that will run Windows 10.

  2. Re:No by amicusNYCL · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Serious question - who here is not running a guest wifi access point?

    I'm going to guess the vast majority of people running wifi at home. My office has a guest network, my house does not.

    --
    "Our two-party system is like a bowl of shit looking at itself in a mirror." - Lewis Black
  3. Re:Not Exactly.... by MightyMartian · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That isn't the issue. The issue is YOU being able to share MY WiFi key because I was dumb enough to let a Windows 10 user on my WiFi network. This is akin to me giving you the keys to my house so you can housesit, and you getting a hundred copies cut and distributing them to a bunch of people you know.

    --
    The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.