Date Updated: September 15, 2009
At Microsoft, we're working hard to protect your privacy while delivering products that bring you the performance, power, and convenience you desire in your personal computing. This privacy statement explains many of the data collection and use practices of Windows Defender. This is a preliminary disclosure that focuses on features that communicate with the Internet and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. It does not apply to other online or offline Microsoft sites, products, or services. Windows Defender is the antispyware program in Microsoft® Windows®. It offers two ways to help protect your computer from spyware and other potentially unwanted software: Real-time protection. Windows Defender alerts you when spyware or potentially unwanted software attempts to install or run on your computer. It also alerts you when programs attempt to change important Windows settings. Scanning options. You can use Windows Defender to scan for spyware and other potentially unwanted software that might be installed on your computer, to schedule scans on a regular basis, and to automatically remove any malicious software that is detected during a scan.
When we need information that personally identifies you or allows us to contact you, we will explicitly ask you for it, except in the case of Microsoft SpyNet reports that you may choose to send to Microsoft (see below). The personal information that we collect from you will be used by Microsoft and its controlled subsidiaries and affiliates to provide the service(s) or carry out the transaction(s) you have requested or authorized, and it may also be used to request additional information on feedback that you provide about the product or service that you are using; to provide critical updates and notifications regarding the pre-release software; or to improve the product or service (for example, bug and survey form inquiries). Except as described in this statement, personal information you provide will not be transferred to third parties without your consent. We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as answering customer questions about products or services, or performing statistical analysis of our services. We will only provide those companies the personal information they need to deliver the service, and they are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose. Microsoft may disclose personal information about you if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on Microsoft or the site; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of Microsoft and its family of Web sites; or (c) act in urgent circumstances to protect the personal safety of Microsoft employees, users of Microsoft products or services, or members of the public. This software contains Internet-enabled features that collect certain standard information from your computer ("standard computer information") and send it to Microsoft. Standard computer information includes certain information about your computer software and hardware, such as your IP address, operating system, Web browser software and version. The privacy details for each Windows Defender feature listed in this privacy statement disclose what additional information is collected and how it is used. Information that is collected by or sent to Microsoft may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which Microsoft or its affiliates, subsidiaries, or agents maintain facilities, and by using this software, you consent to any such transfer of information outside of your country. Microsoft abides by the safe harbor framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of data from the European Union. If you choose the recommended settings during Windows Vista setup, Windows Defender real-time protection will be enabled and automatic scanning will occur at 2:00 A.M. each day. Windows Defender will automatically install updated definitions before scanning, and then remove software with severe alert levels that it detects during the scan. If your copy of Windows is genuine, Windows Defender will also remove software with high alert levels that it detects during a scheduled scan. For more information about the Windows Genuine Advantage, go to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=51371 If you choose the recommended settings during Windows Vista setup, you will also join Microsoft SpyNet with a basic membership. If you join, Windows Defender will automatically send information to Microsoft to help Microsoft determine which software to investigate for potential threats and to help improve how Windows Defender works. The type of information that is sent in reports depends on your level of Microsoft SpyNet membership. (see below). You can change the recommended settings at any time by using the options provided in Windows Defender Microsoft is committed to protecting the security of your information. We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. If you have questions about this privacy statement, please contact us by e-mail or postal mail:
SpyNet
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way, Redmond, Washington 98052
spypriv@microsoft.com What this feature does:
This feature provides a list of all programs on your computer detected by Windows Defender and what actions were taken when the programs were detected. In addition, you can view a list of Allowed items, which are programs that Windows Defender does not monitor while they are running on your computer, and Quarantined items, which are programs that Windows Defender prevents from running until you choose to remove them or allow them to run again.
Information collected, processed, or transmitted:
The list of programs on your computer detected by Windows Defender and the actions taken are stored on your computer. These lists include Windows Defender activity for all users, and are available to all users of your computer. The lists are sent to Microsoft only if you choose to participate in Microsoft SpyNet.
Choice and control:
History lists may be deleted by an administrator.
What this feature does: The online Microsoft SpyNet community is a voluntary, worldwide community of Windows Defender users. Through Microsoft SpyNet, users can report spyware and other forms of potentially unwanted software to Microsoft. If you choose to join, reports about spyware and potentially unwanted software are sent to Microsoft. The type of information that is sent in reports depends on your level of Microsoft SpyNet membership. The online Microsoft SpyNet community also helps you see how other people respond to software that has not yet been classified for risks. If you choose to be notified about this software, seeing if other members of the community permit or deny the software or changes made by the software can help you decide what to do. In turn, if you participate, your choices are added to the community ratings to help other people decide what to do. You can choose to be notified about software that has not yet been classified for risks by using the options provided in Windows Defender or by joining Microsoft SpyNet with an advanced membership (see below). Information collected, processed, or transmitted: Microsoft SpyNet reports include information about the files or programs in question, such as file names, cryptographic hash, vendor, size, and date stamps. In addition, full URLs can be collected to indicate the origin of the file, and might occasionally contain personal information such as search terms or data entered in forms. Reports can also include the actions that you applied when Windows Defender notified you that software was detected (deny or permit). If your copy of Windows is not genuine, some software cannot be removed by Windows Defender and an error will be reported to Microsoft. An error code indicating that software was not removed because your copy of Windows is not genuine will be included in the report. Microsoft SpyNet reports include this information to help Microsoft gauge the effectiveness of Windows Defender's ability to detect and remove malicious and potentially unwanted software. Microsoft uses the information contained in SpyNet reports to help improve Windows Defender for all users. Reports also contain standard computer information, and are automatically sent to Microsoft when: Windows Defender detects software or changes to your computer by software that has not yet been analyzed for risks, You apply actions to software that Windows Defender has detected, or Windows Defender completes a scheduled scan and automatically applies actions to software that it detects, according to your settings.
Reports might unintentionally contain personal information. To the extent that any personal information is included in a report, Microsoft does not use the information to identify you or contact you. You can join Microsoft SpyNet with a basic or an advanced membership. If you choose the recommended settings during Windows setup, you automatically join with a basic membership. Basic member reports contain the information described above. Advanced member reports are more comprehensive and might occasionally contain personal information from, for example, file paths and partial memory dumps. To the extent that any personal information is included in a report, Microsoft does not use the information to identify you or contact you. These reports, along with reports from other Windows Defender users who are participating in Microsoft SpyNet, enable Microsoft researchers to discover new threats more rapidly. Spyware definitions are then created for programs that meet the analysis criteria, and the updated definitions are made available to all users through Windows Update. If you join Microsoft SpyNet with a basic or an advanced membership, Microsoft might request a Sample Submission report. This report contains specific files from your computer that Microsoft suspects might be potentially unwanted software. The report is used for further analysis. You will be asked each time if you want to send this Sample Submission report to Microsoft. To help protect your privacy, SpyNet reports that are sent to Microsoft are encrypted using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). To help protect your privacy, the information sent to Microsoft is encrypted using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). Use of information: Microsoft SpyNet reports are used to improve Microsoft software and services. The reports may also be used for statistical or other testing or analytical purposes, trending, and definition generation. Only Microsoft employees, contractors and vendors who have a business need to use the reports are provided access to them. Choice/control: You can join or leave Microsoft SpyNet at any time. If you join Microsoft SpyNet with an advanced membership, you will be asked if you want to permit or deny changes made by software that has not yet been classified for risks. Basic members will not be asked to review changes by this software and the changes will be permitted. To change your Microsoft SpyNet membership, use the options provided in Windows Defender. You can turn automatic scanning on or off and change the frequency and type of scans. You can also choose which actions are automatically applied to software that Windows Defender detects during a scheduled scan. | 
