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The best way to protect your garden is to fence it in. The same applies to your computer.
Get computer security news and information, help, tips and more at the Security Garden.
In another step to create consistency between Microsoft products, Outlook.com now includes the App Launcher that is part of Office 365. One click on the App Launcher opens the view shown below. Merely click the destination and it launches!
The App Launcher makes it easy to toggle between your calendar, OneDrive and the Office Online applications. If you are using the free Outlook.com email service (@outlook.com, @hotmail.com, @live.com, or @msn.com), see how easy it is to use.
If you click the App Launcher and change your mind about leaving the service you are currently, merely click in another spot on the page or click the Launcher again to close it.
The Microsoft Outlook.com, OneDrive and Office teams were very busy last week. Let's take a look at what happened.
Outlook.com
First came the celebration of the world-wide roll out of Outlook.com. Having started with MSN Hotmail in 2001, I am more than pleased with the improvements of the email service since then.
What seemed to be a haven for spam those many years ago is now a clean, efficient mail system. The junk mail filter along with Sweep and Rules work together to keep my Inbox clean and organized.
Now, with the integration of Office Online, it is hard to envision how Outlook.com could get any better, but we'll get to Office Online in a bit.
OneDrive
Although it has been known for some time that SkyDrive was being renamed OneDrive, the roll out of the change was nothing short of spectacular, with some lucky people adding 100 G free storage to their account for one year.
Even if you weren't fortunate enough to get the added bonus, the OneDrive team has provided other opportunities to add to your free space for current users. Log into OneDrive.com and get up to an extra 8 GB by following the steps to enable your camera roll backup and by referring your friends.
If you sign into OneDrive as a new customer from this link, in addition to the 7 GB storage when you sign up, both of us will receive an extra 0.5 GB of free storage. You can use OneDrive to store and share photos, videos, documents, and more. Even more, you can use OneDrive on your PC, Mac, tablet, and mobile phone.
Office Online
Office Web Apps were renamed Office Online. Along with the name change Office Online became more easily accessible than before. If you use Office.com email, you can choose from Word, Excel, PowerPoint or OneNote right from the drop-down in the upper left-hand corner of your Outlook.com email account. Alternatively, you can go directly to http://www.office.com/.
The only prerequisite to using Office Online is a Microsoft Account, which can be set up with any email address. If you don't already have a Microsoft Account, the sign-up page is here.
Learn more about the announcements and changes in the references below.
The Microsoft Office team has been busy adding new features and improvements to the Microsoft Office Web Apps. Listed below are the changes being made to the Office Web Apps since my April 2013 article, Using Microsoft Office Web Apps. Word App:
A significant improvement is the added ability to find and replace words and phrases. You will now also be able to apply styles and formatting to tables and insert headers and footers.
Excel Web App:
Additions to the Excel Web App include the new ability to drag and drop cells and reorder sheets. A quick analysis of a range of data in the status bar (including sum, count, and average of a selected range of cells) has been added. In addition, there is support for more workbook types online.
PowerPoint Web App:
New
picture cropping functionality has been added to the PowerPoint Web App
and the name of your files can now be changed not only within the editing window of the PowerPoint Web App but also across the other Office Web Apps.
What can you do when you need to quickly create several new slides for a PowerPoint presentation and Microsoft Office is installed on your computer at home, not the computer you are using now? Microsoft Office Web Apps to the rescue!
Other examples of occasions ideally suited for Microsoft Web Apps include team projects such as managing a Little League team or planning the
neighborhood street party that involve multiple people needing the ability to
work from the same file. Microsoft Office Web Apps are also a perfect solution for people who seldom need to create a Word, Excel or other Office document.
Microsoft Office Web Apps are a simple way to
create a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, PowerPoint presentation or
OneNote notebook while on the go, save the file to SkyDrive and then email the
file with Outlook.com or do additional editing later with Microsoft Office.
Creating Microsoft Office Web Apps
These simple steps illustrate how easy it is to create Microsoft Office Web Apps. All you need to get started is a free Microsoft Account, an Internet connection and you are ready to go.
There are two ways to access Microsoft Office Web Apps.
1. If you are already logged on to Outlook.com, merely click the arrow to the right of then click the SkyDrive icon.
After SkyDrive opens, click Create and select the type the type of file you need to create.
2. The second method is to go to Office.com click the "My Office" link and sign on with your Microsoft Account.
Scroll past your SkyDrive files and click the appropriate icon located under the Create New heading, depending upon the type of file you need to create.
Whether you access Microsoft Office Apps directly from SkyDrive or from the Office.com portal, the rest of the steps are the same.
Using Word as an example, a blank document will open with all of the standard formatting tools you are accustomed to finding in the ribbon readily available, including spell check!
Split between the two screen captures below is a copy of some of the formatting features available in the Microsoft Word Office App.
When you have finished creating your document, merely click the save icon or File > Save.
Share the File
After you have finished creating/editing your document, it is just as easy to share the file with team members, co-workers, family, etc., as appropriate as it was to create the document.
If you are ready to share the document, you can do it right from SkyDrive. Merely click "Share" and you can type in an email address or use one already in your Outlook.com address book.
Select whether the recipient(s) need the ability to Edit the document. If it is a business file, check the requirement that recipients need to sign in.
You can also attach the document to an email from Outlook.com. Merely create your email and click the paperclip. Click your SkyDrive app and select the document. At this point, you can elect to send the file using SkyDrive or attach the file, in which case the recipient can download the document.
Are You Ready Now?
You can see how easy it is to use Microsoft Web Apps. Give it a try and if you have questions, leave a comment. I'd also love to hear from you if you use Microsoft Office Web Apps for a group or team project.
Update: This short video by MSFTOutlookillustrates the simplicity of combining Outlook.com, SkyDrive and Microsoft Office apps in your everyday life:
Update 2: Consumer Camp is an excellent resource for, you guessed it, consumers! The purpose of Consumer Camp is to "showcase Microsoft’s consumer-facing technologies, through education and engagement."
To learn even more about Microsoft Web Apps, set aside 15 minutes and visit the link below to watch the Office Team's video shared by my friend and fellow Microsoft MVP, Marques Lyons: Getting things done with Office Web Apps.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Note: I am a SkyDrive and Outlook.com Insider. If you have a question about this article, please leave a
comment and I'll do my best to assist.
Learn more about the SkyDrive Insiders program here.
Learn more about the Outlook.com Insiders program here.
The recent rumor about the addition of two-step verification being added to the Microsoft Account was true. The announcement about this and other changes to Outlook.com made in The Official Microsoft Blog and the Outlook Blog are both welcome as well as exciting.
The most exciting from a security viewpoint is the addition of an optional two-step authentication added to Microsoft Account.
Two-Step Authentication added to Microsoft Account
By far, this is the most welcome change being made. Among the most popular articles here at Security Garden relate to Hotmail security, particularly the two-year old article relating to a hacked Hotmail account.
With two-step verification, often referred to as two-factor authentication, 2FA or TFA, two pieces of information
are need to access your Microsoft Account. Both your password plus a code
sent to a phone or email address on file as security information are needed. Thus, if your device is lost or stolen or your Microsoft Account password compromised, access to your important information is not possible without that second piece of information.
The two-step verification will work on any device where you use your Microsoft
account, including Windows 8, any Web browser, as well as Microsoft apps and
services on iOS and Android devices.
Important: It is on your shoulders to keep the security information in your Microsoft Account updated. It is necessary to update your Microsoft Account before you cancel the alternate email address or phone.
If you lose access to your secondary security proof, customer support cannot update it for you and it will be necessary to go through a recovery process that enforces a 30-day wait before you
are able to regain access to your account. This is done to ensure someone malicious has not used
this as a way to take over your account.
In addition, if you lose access to your
password AND all your security information, you will not be able to regain
access to your account.
Because the servers are grouped into hundreds of clusters, and
only one cluster is upgraded at a time, when the server your account is
on has been updated, you will find the option to add two-step
verification at https://account.live.com/proofs/Manage.
A welcome addition with the update to Outlook.com is the ability to sign in with any alias that you have connected to your account. The process of adding and managing aliases has been simplified, including better advice on when it is better suited to add an alias or rename your primary alias.
The last bit of news is the addition of 32 new @Outlook email address domains. This will provide the ability to have an @Outlook address unique to your country.
Detailed information about this addition is available in the below-referenced articles.
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I am an Outlook.com Insider. If you have a question about this post or Outlook.com, please leave a
comment and I'll do my best to assist. Learn more about the Outlook.com Insiders program here.
In the event you missed the announcement, Windows Live Messenger was retired on March 15, 2013. In its various iterations from 1999 to 2013 the Messenger client has had a long life but now is on the way out, replaced by Skype.
April 8, 2013, marks the beginning of the upgrade to English-language clients, reportedly ending somewhere around the end of the month with Brazilian Portuguese-language clients, although it may take longer than reported.
In addition to this change not affecting China, it is important to understand that it is not the Messenger service that is integrated in Windows Phone and Xbox and used by third-party programs that is ending, rather it is the desktop client.
Updating to Skype
The first step in updating Messenger to Skype is, as expected, downloading the latest version of Skype. As with any software installation, it is important to watch the screens during the installation process rather than blindly clicking through the process.
Things You May See During Skype Installation:
Skype at Start-Up: Along with the usual agreement of terms of use and privacy policy, the initial installation screen may include the pre-checked option to have Skype launch when the computer starts. If you would rather not have Skype launch at start-up, uncheck that box.
Bing: There may also be an option to make Bing your default search engine. If you do not wish to make Bing your default search engine, uncheck that option.
When presented with the screen to sign in with your Microsoft Account, this is the same username and password that you used for Messenger and will include all of your Messenger contacts.
To view the series of screens I saved when updating Windows Live Messenger to Skype several months ago, you can see the uploaded collection at Updating from Messenger to Skype.
Categories and Groups
For users of categories and groups in Messenger, note that they do not
migrate to Skype. If you have set up multiple categories and/or groups,
you may want to either make a list or a screen copy of the members.
Then, after updating to Skype, do the following:
Right-click on the contacts tab.
Select "Create new list" and name the list.
Right-click your contacts name to add to the newly created list.
Reminder: No emergency calls with Skype
For users of Skype calling, please remember that Skype is not a replacement for your telephone and cannot be used for emergency calling.
Microsoft has released Windows Essentials 2012 which includes new
versions of Movie Maker and Photo Gallery for Windows 7 and Windows 8.
Details about the new features in Movie Maker and Photo Gallery are
available in the Windows Experience Blog, Introducing the New Windows Photo Gallery and Movie Maker.
Windows Essentials 2012 includes the new SkyDrive for Windows app as
well as Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Family Safety, Windows Live
Writer, Windows Live Messenger, Outlook Connector Pack and Windows Photo
Gallery and Windows Movie Maker.
Windows Live Mesh and SkyDrive
If you install Windows Essentials 2012, it is important to note that if
you have Windows Live Mesh installed, it will automatically be removed
if you install the new Movie Maker or Photo Gallery. In its place
Microsoft SkyDrive will be installed. Microsoft has specified that if
the new Movie Maker and/or Photo Gallery in Windows Essentials 2012 are
installed, you can not have Windows Live Mesh on the same PC.
In order to sync folders from the cloud to all of your PCs, it will then
be necessary to install SkyDrive on all of your PCs or Macs. (Windows
Live Mesh continues to be available from the Download Center: Windows Live Essentials.)
Know the Difference
The important thing to keep in mind is the one major difference between Windows Live Mesh and SkyDrive. With SkyDrive, all
files are "in the cloud". Unless you update to Windows Essentials 2012
and install the new Movie Maker and/or Photo Gallery, with Windows Live
Mesh, you can also have files in the cloud but you can also avoid the
cloud and just sync files across PCs/Mac.
Microsoft has provided excellent step-by-step instructions for both Windows Live Mesh and SkyDrive in the articles linked below.
Anyone who has every had a problem with .NET Framework, particularly a
repeatedly offered security update, knows how difficult it can be to
fix. Without a specific error code, it is more difficult to research
the source of the problem.
Until recently, the primary go-to source for help was Aaron Stebner's WebLog on MSDN Blogs at Unified .NET Framework Troubleshooting Guide.
I have also provided the recommendation to install .NET Framework
security updates, with a shutdown/restart and separately from other
security updates.
"The tool may make one or more of several possible changes to the
installed product. For example, it may correct the state of Windows
Installer on the computer, reset the DACLs on certain folders, or
resolve some issues that are related to invalid or corrupted update
registration.
The tool follows a four-step process:
Try to troubleshoot the issue.
Apply the fixes (with user consent).
Try to repair the .NET Framework 4.
Collect logs (with user consent)."
Remember - "A day without laughter is a day wasted." May the wind sing to you and the sun rise in your heart...
When Windows Live was introduced in 2005, it took me a while to get accustomed to adding "Windows Live" to Hotmail, Windows Messenger, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Photo Gallery, and the other programs that eventually became Windows Live Essentials*.
With the changes announced today at the Building Windows 8, it is time to start getting adjusted to new terms. After all, when logging on to Windows 8 with your Microsoft account (formerly Windows Live ID, the apps will be immediately available with the information provided by cloud services.
The chart below was provided at the Building Windows 8 blog showing the new breakdown of software and services.
Service
Windows 8
Windows Phone
Web/HTML 5 (live.com)
API (dev. live.com)
Earlier Versions
Account
Microsoft account
Microsoft account
Account.live.com
OAUTH
Windows Live ID, Passport
Storage/ Docs
SkyDrive app, SkyDrive Desktop
SkyDrive app, Office app
SkyDrive.com
REST, JSON
FolderShare, Live Mesh, Windows Live Mesh
Email
Mail app
Mail app
Hotmail.com
EAS
Windows Live Mail, Outlook Express
Calendar
Calendar app
Calendar app
Calendar.live.com
EAS, REST
Windows Live Mail, Windows Calendar
Contacts
People app
People app
People.live.com
EAS, REST
Windows Contacts
Messaging
Messaging app
Messaging app
Integrated in Hotmail and SkyDrive
XMPP
MSN Messenger
Photos/ Videos
Photos app, Photo Gallery, Movie Maker
Photos app, Camera Roll
Photos.live.com
REST, JSON (via SkyDrive)
Windows Live Photo Gallery, Windows Live Movie Maker
Even if you aren't testing Windows 8 Consumer Preview, the live.com links all work. Go ahead, give it a try. Check your calendar at http://calendar.live.com or look up a contact at http://people.live.com.
See the Building Windows 8 blog for additional information about the rebranding of Windows Live as Microsoft Apps. Detailed information has been promised in upcoming articles about Microsoft account, cloud services, SkyDrive, Hotmail,
Messenger, as well the work Microsoft is doing with Skype.
New storage options and apps to connect your devices to
SkyDrive were announced by the Building Windows 8 blog. The announcement provides information on the following.
New Features
"SkyDrive for the Windows desktop (preview available now).
View and manage your personal SkyDrive directly from Windows Explorer
on Windows 8, Windows 7, and Windows Vista with this new preview app
available in 106 languages worldwide.
Fetching files through SkyDrive.com.
Easily access, browse, and stream files from a remote PC running the
preview app to just about anywhere by simply fetching them via
SkyDrive.com.
SkyDrive storage updates. A new, more
flexible approach to personal cloud storage that allows power users to
get additional paid storage as their needs grow.
SkyDrive for other devices.
We’ve updated the SkyDrive apps on Windows Phone and iOS devices,
bringing better management features and sharing options to those
devices. We’re also releasing a new preview client for Mac OS X Lion,
letting you manage your SkyDrive right from the Finder."
Of particular note is that SkyDrive for Windows desktop is only for Windows 8, Windows 7 and Windows Vista, notably excluding Windows XP.
Paid Storage
As anticipated, along with the changes to SkyDrive, Microsoft will be providing paid storage. The cost structure is as follows:
New SkyDrive users: 7 GB free storage.
*Existing users: After opt-in, up to 25 GB free storage
Additional 20 GB storage: $10 per year
Additional 50 GB storage: $25 per year
Additional 100 GB storage: $50 per year
*Existing users applies to SkyDrive accounts as of April 22, 2012.
Limited Time Loyalty Offer - 25 GB Free
In order to upgrade your existing SkyDrive account from 7 GB free storage to 25 GB free storage, log on to your SkyDrive account, https://skydrive.live.com/. Click "Manage storage" > "Upgrade my storage" to lock in 25 GB for free.
Other than specifying "limited time", I have not seen an indication of when the "Loyalty Offer" expires so I suggest you take advantage of the offer now before it expires.
There are so many wonderful uses for SkyDrive. With 25GB free storage, SkyDrive is the perfect place to store team documents and family photos. The integration of Microsoft OneNote 2010 with SkyDrive works seamlessly.
Followers of the Building Windows 8 blog already know about some of the changes coming to SkyDrive with Windows 8. As a refresher, however, here's what to expect:
SkyDrive Metro style app on Windows 8
SkyDrive files integrated into Windows Explorer on the desktop, and
The ability to fetch remote files through SkyDrive.com
There is more, including support for the desktop to upload files up to 2GB through Explorer. Uploading your files to your SkyDrive folder will ensure access to your files across all of your PCs and also make it easier to upgrade to Windows 8.
About SkyCMD
With the integration of SkyDrive in Windows 8 and the ability for SkyDrive to automatically update files as changes are made, the option to get back to basics with simple DOS-type commands to access SkyDrive is being made available in the form of SkyCMD.
It isn't necessary to wait for Windows 8 to give SkyCMD a workout. Just follow these simple steps.
:SkyDrive>help
ACCOUNT
login - opens the login window, make sure your browser doesn't block the popup
logout
NAVIGATION
dir - displays contents of current directory
cd [directory] - changes the current directory
cls - clears the terminal window
FILE
mkdir [directory] - creates a new directory
move [source] [destination] - moves the source file to the destination
copy [source] [destination] - copies the source file to the destination
start [file] - opens a file in the browser
download [file] - downloads a file
SYSTEM
ver - displays the system version
green - sets command line text to green
white - sets command line text to white
:SkyDrive>_
3. Typing login at the prompt the first time takes you to the Windows Live Connect Services.
:SkyDrive>login
After giving approval, the command skycmd changes to display logged in:
:SkyDrive>login
logged in
From there on out, just login and use the familiar commands to manage your SkyDrive files. It is that simple.
A commonality in hacked Hotmail accounts is a weak password. A weak password is not only a sequence of numbers or consecutive keyboard characters such as 3333333 or asdfgh. Any dictionary word (regardless of language), abbreviations, and words spelled backward are weak passwords. The list of common passwords also includes personal information, such as your children or pet's name, telephone number, house numbers, etc.
Hotmail Team Action
The Hotmail team is rolling out a new security feature that will prevent you from choosing a very common password when recovering a compromised Hotmail account, signing up for a Hotmail account or when changing your password. In addition, if you are already using a common password, you may, at some point in the future, be asked to change it to a stronger password.
Key to a Strong Password
The key to a strong password is both complexity and length.
Complexity is not merely adding an upper case letter or an obvious misspelling, such as P@$$w0rd. That just won't pass muster. A list of the 500 worst passwords is in the references below. If you use any of those examples or even something similar it is time to change it, especially for your e-mail, banking or any site where you pay bills or conduct on-line purchases.
Although some websites limit the number of characters allowed in a password, the longer your password, the harder it will be for it to be compromised.
Test the passwords you use with the Password Checker. If your password is weak or medium in strength, make it experiment with the Password Checker adding characters, with a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and keyboard symbols.
Dealing with hijacked Hotmail accounts has long been a top priority for the Hotmail team. The Hotmail Safety and Security blog recently reported about an increase in hijacked accounts and spam emails sent to a account owner's contact list without their knowledge.
Some of the symptoms reported to the Hotmail team by people whose account was hijacked include:
Deleted contacts
Deleted emails
Safe sender's list is deleted
Junk Mail Settings is set to Exclusive, which prevents mail from being delivered to the Inbox.
Unfortunately, the account owner is not always the first person to discover that their account has been hacked. Instead, it is the recipients of the spam or phishing emails that arrived in their inbox from their friend's hacked account.
How to Report a Hacked E-Mail Account
Now, in addition to contacting your friend about the problem with their account, the Hotmail team is incorporating a way to report a compromised account.
From the "Mark as" menu option, click the My friend’s been hacked!” option:
You can also report an account you believe is compromised while marking as Junk or moving it to the Junk folder:
What Happens After The Account is Reported
When Hotmail receives the report, the information is added to the other information from their compromise detection engine to determine if the account has been compromised.
If the reported account is a Yahoo! or Gmail account, arrangements have been made with those providers for the information to be forwarded to them to use in their respective systems to recover hacked accounts.
For Hotmail accounts identified as compromised, the following will occur:
The spammer can no longer use the account
When the account owner attempts to access their account, they will be referred to the account recovery process.
Multi-faceted Windows Live Hotmail not only includes the ability to add up to four POP3 accounts to your Windows Live Hotmail account, you can also link multiple Windows Live IDs. With multiple Hotmail accounts, this enables you to easily switching between accounts without the necessity of signing in again.
Follow the simple steps below to link multiple Windows Live IDs.
Link Windows Live IDs
Sign in to your Windows Live Hotmail account. In the left pane, next to Inbox, click the Tools icon , and then click Get email from another account.
In the window that opens, click Windows Live:
Next, click the link for "Linked IDs".
Linked IDs
Link your Windows Live IDs so you can quickly switch between accounts.
For security reasons, it will be necessary to provide your password again in order to access Account options. Then simply enter the Windows Live ID you want to link to the account that you signed in to and provide the password for that account. Lastly, click the button to Link the accounts.
To access the linked Windows Live ID, merely click the down arrow in the upper right next to your account name and select the account. Windows Live will be redirected to that linked account.
The value of a Windows Live Hotmail account is increased exponentially by including the ability to access multiple e-mail accounts all from your Hotmail inbox.
Not only can you can link multiple Windows Live IDs, you can also add up to four POP3 accounts to your Windows Live Hotmail account. By following the steps below, you can send and receive e-mail from your Gmail, AOL Mail, and Yahoo! Mail Plus.
Note that POP access needs to be turned on in the other account for Hotmail to access the email. Some email services have POP turned off by default, so be sure to check those settings. Using Gmail as an example, the option is located in Settings, Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
Add an email account
After logging on to your Windows Live Hotmail account, in the left pane, next to Inbox, click the Tools icon , and then click Get email from another account.
Enter your account information
In the window that opens, click Add an email account.
Type the e-mail address and the password for the desired account to be added to your Hotmail account:
Set folders and icons
Select the folder where you'd like email from this account to go. You can also choose a colored icon to indicate mail from that account. When you're done, click Save.
Verify that you own this email address
An e-mail will be sent to the account to be forwarded to your Windows Live Hotmail. It is necessary to approve forwarding by clicking the link in the e-mail.
You have set up your Windows Live Hotmail account to send messages from this email address.
By adding this address, you'll be able to write messages and send them from this Windows Live Hotmail account:
1. To verify that you own this account and want to send messages from it, click the link below:
{LINK}
2. The link will take you to the sign-in page for Windows Live Hotmail. Just sign in to the account that you want to send mail from. Once you've done that, your mail from that account will start being sent from this address.
, and then click Get email from another account. 
