Dear Editor:
Concerning "How to Block Windows 10 From Putting You in HIPAA Jeopardy" (HCTR, 10/7). I can't help but wonder if a lot of the article's finer points are possibly ill-advised and potentially dangerous for the end users. There have been numerous 3rd party reports which show the manner of information being sent to Microsoft and how general/non-specific it really is. Although any sharing is bad, these same reports show that if you use the privacy settings in Windows to limit or turn off this sharing as much as possible, information is still indeed being shared. That's not to say that we shouldn't try, but I think there's an inherently bigger problem here that end users really aren't going to have much control over.
In addition, the article states that there should be no downsides to sticking with Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 but indeed there is when you consider that the upgrade to Windows 10 is only free for the first year-- so in this case there would be a monetary downside as likely Windows 7 would lose support far before Windows 10.
I also noticed the article recommends turning off Windows Defender. I assume this is so that there aren't any file samples sent back to Microsoft. That feature can be turned off separately. Although Windows Defender only does a cursory job of keeping the computer safe from malicious code, any protection in this area is warranted and highly valuable. The repercussions (HIPAA and otherwise) of having a machine infected with malicious software far outweigh the possible benefits of turning this service off.
Lastly, although I know (or hope) it was meant in jest, I would be remiss to not mention the suggestion of inviting your local IT person over for a meal and then pulling a "while you're here..." bit. Sadly, this sort of behavior happens all too often and encouraging it should really be avoided. In this case you're telling a real human being that you did not genuinely want their company, you've invited them over in pretense, and you only intended to use them for their skill and expertise. If I were the guest I would be very disappointed.
Brant Johnson
Director of IT
Haven Home Health, LLC
Dallas, TX
Brant:
Thanks for your well-researched response to our Windows 10 advice. Your points are on target and demand a modification of our recommendation. It appears that Windows 10 is free for a year only to home and small business users who are upgrading from a legitimate, registered copy of version 7 or 8, not from earlier versions and not from pirated copies. Enterprise users and those who did not purchase Windows 7 or 8 pay full price now anyway, so there is no hurry for them to make the decision. But consider this, those small organizations and home users have to ask whether 10 will always be free. Microsoft licensing language is ambiguous at best and rumors about their long-range intentions abound. Look at the opinion of TechRepublic reporter Mark Kaelin:
"Microsoft is a for-profit company, and giving away a billion pieces of software (the company's goal is one billion devices) is not going to sit well with the shareholders. At some point, users will be asked to pay a subscription fee for Windows 10. We all know this, even if we haven't thought about it until now."
Here is a breakdown that suggests perhaps small organizations running single copies of Windows 7 or 8 should decide about 10 before the free offer expires:
Upgrade to "Windows 10 for Home" after the free offer expires: $119
Upgrade to "Windows 10 Pro" after the free offer expires: $199