Privacy – MotivationSec

Microsoft recently released their next major evolutionary update to Windows 10 called Creators Update. It boasts a lot of new features and innovations. New additions in the update include Paint 3D, Remix 3D, and greater support for augmented reality with Windows Mixed Reality. Some new features include better Cortana integration with more apps, the ability to easily broadcast games live with Microsoft’s Beam service, and blue light reduction (like Night Shift in iOS). Edge even got a feature update with tab grouping.

There is also a larger feature that has gamers excited called Game Mode. There has been some early testing done and it was found that enabling this mode with slower, cheaper processors did see a performance increase while gaming.

As far as new security features, Microsoft is investing heavily in Windows Defender. They have given Windows Defender its own home with a new applet called Windows Defender Security Center. It gives much more information and allows for overall easier management of security features. Windows Defender Security Center includes other security measures for management, such as Windows Firewall and browser security settings. Additionally, Windows Hello now allows for proximity auto-locking when paired with a bluetooth device. Microsoft also added a privacy dashboard which will allow one to manage activity data across multiple services and more simply change privacy settings.

All of these features and updates are exciting for anyone interested in technology. But, before one dives straight into the update, even if offered automatically, there are some things one might consider doing first. Below is an outlined process by which one might go about performing the Windows 10 Creators Update.

1. Preflight Check

There are certain things that should be completed as a precaution before performing this upgrade to Windows 10 Creators Update. First thing, always make a backup. Disk2vhd is exceptionally good for this and is available for free from Microsoft, included as part of the Sysinternals Suite. Disk2vhd could not be more simple to use. Once you download, unzip the file, and run it, follow these directions:

Be sure to check the Use Vhdx and Use Volume Shadow Copy options.
Choose a path where to save the image file and give it a name.
- The author strongly recommends a USB 3.0 external drive with adequate capacity on which to store the image, when considering a path.
Check the box of the appropriate volumes which should be included, excluding any external volumes.
Click the Create button.

Depending on how much data is on the volume(s) selected and the transfer speed of the drive used, the time required to complete the backup can range from 30 minutes to several hours. Browse into the image once it is created to make sure it is not corrupt and your files will be accessible, in case the update procedure fails. This can be done by right-clicking the drive and selecting Mount, then opening Disk Management and right-clicking the mounted Disk and selecting Online. When done, in Disk Management right-click the mounted Disk and select Unmount. An additional prompt will appear, just click OK.

Just for safe measure, be sure to unplug the external hard drive after safely ejecting it.

2. Start the Update

If the Creators Update does not appear automatically, it can be started by browsing to the following Microsoft Creators Update page and clicking the Update now button.

This will download a small utility which starts the update. Launching the utility brings up the Windows 10 Update Assistant. Click the Update now button. This will perform a check to see if your system passes the requirements for the update. The utility will then begin downloading and installing the update automatically. Depending on the speed of your connection to the remote server (the Internet), this download can take several minutes to several hours. Feel free to work in the meantime and minimize the window.

Once the update process is completed, the Windows 10 Update Assistant will prompt for a restart of the computer. It also kicks off a 30 minute countdown timer, so be sure to be close at hand when this part of the upgrade process approaches. An unexpected, automated reboot could cause loss of data.

3. The Update Process

Below is a video of the update process. There are several reboots and it took almost an hour to complete on a 2014 iMac with an Intel Core i5 processor and 1 TB spinning disk drive.

4. Post Update

After the update is finished, you will be guided through some of the new settings, displayed below.

First Screen — First screen after last reboot of update.

Privacy Setting Page — Privacy settings configuration screen.

Cortona Setup Screen — Cortona setup screen.

5. It is Complete

After everything is complete, if there are no issues, you will be presented with the following screen.

Windows 10 Creators Update Thank You — Windows 10 Update Assistant Thank You screen.

Noticeable Changes

I immediately noticed that the iMac on which this upgrade was performed seemed to run much quicker than it previously had. It is hard to tell if this is due to the optimization of Windows 10 in this update or because the update was like refreshing the system. Applications seem to launch faster and boots seem quicker, as well.

What results have you noticed after the update?

Post a comment below with anything you experienced or what you think about the Creators Update.

Laws are beginning to change around what Internet Service Providers can do with the data they collect on the browsing habits of their customers. This has raised concerns with some customers regarding their privacy. People are now looking for ways to keep their browsing habits private and away from their Internet Service Providers. While there is a lot of information on the Internet already on exactly how to achieve the results desired, not all of it is equal. We would like to take the time to clear things up and raise awareness for what is now becoming a concern for many.

Disclaimer: There is no such thing as “perfect security.” None of these methods provide a perfect way by which to protect your browsing habits from being seen by everyone. The main purpose of the article is to merely make it harder for your Internet Service Provider to track your browsing habits, so they cannot use it for monetary gain.

Secure Sockets Layer (Native, Free)

Secure Sockets Layer, commonly referred to as “SSL,” is a method by which two computers can communicate with one another in a private, authenticated manner. Most people encounter SSL when they browse the web with their favorite web browser. It is the underlying technology that allows us to login, bank, shop, and do so much more, all securely. It also does not allow for any eavesdropping of the communications between the two computers involved. At this point in time, this means even your own Internet Service Provider (or anyone else in-between) cannot peer into the information that is being sent back and forth–it is encrypted.

Even though this is a great solution that works natively and automatically, it does not stop some browsing data from “leaking.” The leaked data to which we refer is the initial request for the website. An Internet Service Provider and everyone else can see this initial request for the website. After the initial request is sent, all other browsing data transferred is protected once the SSL connection is established. A SSL connection can also be verified in most browsers by looking at or near the address bar and finding a padlock symbol or the word “Secure,” in the case of Google Chrome, at the time of this writing. One may also look for the term “https” in the URL of a webpage.

Since SSL also provides authentication, many websites are moving in that direction already, so it is a very seamless process for those browsing. There are also popular browser plugins like “HTTPS Everywhere” that attempt to always establish a SSL connection to a website when possible.

Virtual Private Networks (Paid)

One way to combat the initial data leak issue of SSL is to attempt to anonymize browsing habits. A good way to do so is to use a Virtual Private Network, or VPN. There are many different uses for VPNs, but for the purpose of anonymizing browsing habits we will involve a VPN provider. There are many reputable VPN providers, so our intention is not to provide a list. Instead, feel free to contact us if you have concerns about reputable VPN providers.

This technology allows a subscriber to form a secure, virtual private tunnel to the servers of a VPN provider in order to encapsulate all of the data being sent between the subscriber and the VPN provider. This includes the initial request for a webpage that using SSL alone does not protect.

The anonymization of the data comes from how browsing data goes out onto the Internet after it reaches the VPN provider. It goes out along with the data of everyone else, from the same point of origin. Finding the browsing data of one specific person once it emerges onto the Internet from a VPN provider has been likened to trying to find one specific snowflake during a blizzard in the middle of winter. While it is not impossible, it is highly improbable.

Tor Onion Network (Free)

A free alternative to using a paid VPN provider is to utilize the Tor Network. We understand there are a lot of negative connotations associated with the Tor Network and a lot of people avoid it for this reason, but it has legitimate uses. The Tor Network allows one to anonymize their browsing habits in much the same way as that of a VPN provider. The way it differs is that it encapsulates all of the transmitted data in the same way Russian Nesting Dolls encapsulate smaller dolls within ever larger ones. In this analogy the browsing data is the innermost doll and as the data is passed along the network each “node” removes one encapsulating doll until the browsing data emerges at the end of its path, at the “exit node,” and is sent to the intended website.

Much like the VPN provider, an “exit node” in the Tor Network does have access to all of the browsing data in an unencrypted form as it exits the Tor Network and emerges onto the Internet, but the best way to deal with this is to also use SSL.

Security in Layers

The best solution at the time of this writing is to use a combination of SSL and either a VPN provider or the Tor Network. In this way, the initial request for a website is anonymized and all of the data transmitted between the website and the computer used for browsing is encrypted and authenticated, end-to-end. While this is not a perfect solution, it does serve its ultimate purpose of stopping Internet Service Providers from seeing what requests and data is being transferred across their network, when privacy is the main concern.

This blog post also appeared on the InfoTECH Solutions’ Blog.

Category: Privacy

How to Update to Windows 10 Creators Edition