Unless you opt out, Windows 10 will by default share your Wi-Fi network password with any contacts you may have listed in
Outlook and
Skype — and, with an opt-in, your Facebook friends.
Whilst Wi-Fi Sense doesn’t share your WiFi network password per se — it shares an encrypted version of that password. What it does is that it will allow anyone in your Skype or Outlook or Hotmail contacts lists to enter into your Wi-Fi network — should they ever wander within range of it or visit your home automatically.
According to Microsoft’s Wi-Fi Sense FAQ, your Wi-Fi password will be sent encrypted and stored encrypted — on a Microsoft server. However, if you have used Windows 10’s “Express” settings during installation, Wi-Fi Sense is enabled by default.
This seems to be taking a leaf from Apple, who offer the service called iCloud Keychain (to sync WiFi access information, email passwords, and other stored credentials amongst their own personal constellation of Apple computers and iDevices via Apple’s iCloud service).
Google also have been doing this though, and to opt-out of having your wireless network name indexed by Google, which requires the inclusion of the phrase “_nomap” in the Wi-Fi network name.
The bad news:
The solution to this, requires you to change the name (a.k.a. “SSID“) of their Wi-Fi network to include the text “_optout” somewhere in the network name (for example, “oldnetworknamehere_optout”).
So....
- Prior to upgrade to Windows 10, change your Wi-Fi network name/SSID to something that includes the terms “_nomap_optout”.
- After the upgrade is complete, change the privacy settings in Windows to disable Wi-Fi Sense sharing.
Just sharing
