Windows Recent Update Snoops On The User’s Office Data

(CTN NEWS) – Microsoft appeared to want information on earlier Office versions when a fix was recently provided via Windows Update, which scared off users of Office.

Now the corporation explains: it’s for your good, privacy is of utmost importance, etc.

To “assist” the firm in determining how many people were still using unsupported or soon-to-be unsupported versions of the Office productivity suite, Microsoft released the KB5021751 update in January.

Microsoft appeared to be collecting information about users of Office 2013, Office 2010, and Office 2007 using a software update that would only run once in “quiet mode” to gather information before erasing itself from the machine.

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Redmond developers applied the update to Windows installations that have Office 2013, 2010, or Office 2007 installed with the “Receive updates for other Microsoft products” option selected.

The receive updates feature optional, according to Microsoft, and users may turn it off from the advanced options configuration page for Windows Update.

The OS juggernaut has updated the KB5021751 support page to recap how the update functions and why it benefits Microsoft’s customers and business.

According to Microsoft Support, the update collects “diagnostic and performance data” from Registry entries and application interfaces (API) to gauge how frequently previous Office editions are used.

According to the business, office versions that are no longer maintained are no longer secure since they don’t get the most recent security patches, which offer the most recent defense against known vulnerabilities.

Versions that are out of date “may experience performance and reliability difficulties over time.”

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Microsoft tells customers, however, that KB5021751 does not collect any data regarding license specifics, user content, or information regarding other “non-Microsoft products.”

The business “values, protects, and defends” user privacy, even if it absolves users of responsibility for using illegal copies of its software, at least on paper.

Microsoft added that it would assess “how best to manage and service” systems running out-of-date Office versions using the information obtained through the upgrade.

No information is available, though, regarding how it will carry out the ongoing support. Although no genuine guarantees are provided, it may push some urgent, out-of-band upgrades for severely risky (or even “wormable”) security issues.

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