Windows 10 has been well received by users and tech writers alike, but parts of Microsoft’s new privacy policy are raising eyebrows due to concerns that they could be ‘spying’ on what users do.

The tech company’s service agreement stretches to 12,000 words, but one part of it has worried users over the safety of their data.

One excerpt worryingly tells users that “we will access, disclose and preserve personal data”, including the contents of emails or files in private folders.

They add that they will do this when they need to comply with law enforcement, prevent spam, maintain the security of their networks, or protect their rights or property.

Microsoft also keeps tabs on your behaviour in order to target adverts to you – something you might be uncomfortable with, or might just find annoying.

If you’re worried about your privacy then you might be put off by upgrading to Windows 10 – which is a shame, because early reviews all seem to agree that it’s a really good operating system.

Fortunately, it’s possible to opt-out of these privacy policies, and Rock Paper Shotgun have explained how to do it.

Go to Settings – Privacy and turn off everything that looks dodgy

There are 13 screens you need to get through to cover every aspect of your machine, including what apps and programs have access to your location, contacts, messaging details and camera, amongst other things.

Turn off Cortana

Again, this could be a problem, as the Cortana search function, which is similar to Apple’s Siri, has been highly praised as one of the best functions of Windows 10.

However, one of the reasons it works so well is because it logs your past searches and can provide suggestions and more personalised search results.

Users will have to decide whether they’re willing to disable Cortana in exchange for increasing privacy.

Turn off personalised ads

What Microsoft 10’s new home screen looks like

Obviously, ads that are tailored to what you want depend on storing some of your data, otherwise you’d be bombarded with adverts for things you have no intention of buying.

Windows 10 ads work by delivering you targeted adverts wherever you’re logged in to your Microsoft account, whether you’re on desktop, mobile or tablet.

It’s clear that Microsoft doesn’t want users to do this, because it’s not as easy to disable as the other privacy features.

However, it’s still pretty straightforward. You need to go to an external website, and simply turn both personalised ad options to ‘off’.

Use a local Windows account

This is a fairly drastic option, because it would severely cut back on the synchronisation of features between your devices.

Instead of using an existing Windows account, you could use a newly made local account instead – this prevents Microsoft from getting your data, and using it to make sure your machine is updated when you log on with a Windows account.

This is a useful feature, but if you’re concerned about the data harvesting that it involves, it just takes a simple step to avoid it.

Some people may prefer the convenience of synced features and targeted ads, and that’s fine – but the privacy policy can be quite intrusive, and you’re opted in automatically. Fortunately, it’s fairly straightforward to opt out of.

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Mac OS is not Panacea from Viruses

Added: Friday, August 7th, 2015

Mac has always been advertised as a platform that is relatively safe from malware. This was due to combination of the lower number of users, less attention from security researchers and, most importantly, fewer security holes in Mac OS than Windows. Apple always emphasized its security in the Mac vs PC ad campaign, claiming that Macs don’t get viruses.

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With Chrome version 39 which is in the process of being released (see footnote), Google has started issuing warnings if a website is using a certificate that has a signature algorithm that uses the older and less secure SHA1.

To find out which signature algorithm your secure website is using, in Chrome click on the green lock in the location bar. Then click on ‘connection’, then click on ‘certificate information’. You should see something like the image below. Note the ‘Signature algorithm’ is SHA-256 which is one of the SHA2 hashing functions. If you see SHA-1, you need to immediately reissue your certificate using SHA-2 and install the new version.

So what does it look like in the new version of Chrome when you’re using SHA-1? This is taken from a well known website that has not upgraded yet. Notice the lock with the warning triangle in the location bar. This is the main indication for a site visitor that something is awry. If you then click on the lock it has a further warning with explanation.

If you do have a website that is using SHA-1, don’t panic. Just sign into GoDaddy or whoever your SSL issuer is. Then go to manage your certificates and they’ll have an option there to reissue your certificate. You’ll need to resubmit your certificate signing request (CSR) but you can just resubmit your old CSR and it will work fine.

Then make sure that you’ve selected SHA-2 or SHA-256 or another SHA-2 compatible function. Then reissue the certificate. In GoDaddy’s case it takes about a minute for them to approve your request. If you have an EV certificate it may take longer.

Please share this with other site administrators to make sure that their customers aren’t getting warnings when visiting those all-important secure pages.

Footnote: Chrome 39 has officially been pushed into the “Stable” channel which is the release channel. It will be pushed out via auto-update to millions of customers in the coming days. The demo above was done with Chrome 40 beta, but what the user sees is identical.

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