Microsoft's Global Device ID used by FBI to link teen hacker to Scattered Spider, raising privacy concerns

Summary

The arrest of 19-year-old Peter Stokes, an alleged member of the hacking group Scattered Spider, has revealed that Microsoft uses a "Global Device ID" (GDID) to track Windows PCs and their online activity. The FBI leveraged this identifier to link Stokes to hacking crimes, as detailed in an unsealed criminal complaint. The case raises significant privacy concerns about Microsoft's surveillance capabilities, as the GDID appears to have no easy opt-out mechanism for users, potentially allowing Microsoft to track devices across the internet.

Source

Hacker NewsMicrosoft's Global Device ID used by FBI to link teen hacker to Scattered Spider, raising privacy concernspcmag.com