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#91
Windows News & Discussion / Microsoft Defender/365 subscri...
Last post by zappaDPJ - Jul 27, 2025, 12:22:20I'm just wondering if anyone else gets email from mydefender@microsoft.com
I treat anything unsolicited as spam or a scam and it goes straight into the bin including email from the above address. However I noticed the latest email contains a message that my 'Windows device needs attention' with a link to 'Open Defender'.
Having read the email it claims Defender is included with a Microsoft 365 subscription, something I do subscribe to. Anyway long story short, having confirmed the email is legitimately sent by Microsoft I clicked the link which opens a browser page inviting me to 'Subscribe to Microsoft 365 to use Defender', something I already subscribe to and am signed in to.
My take on this is it is an unsolicited Microsoft scam, designed to worry people into taking out a subscription but I'm open to hear otherwise. I have raised this directly to Microsoft who have failed to reply.
I treat anything unsolicited as spam or a scam and it goes straight into the bin including email from the above address. However I noticed the latest email contains a message that my 'Windows device needs attention' with a link to 'Open Defender'.
Having read the email it claims Defender is included with a Microsoft 365 subscription, something I do subscribe to. Anyway long story short, having confirmed the email is legitimately sent by Microsoft I clicked the link which opens a browser page inviting me to 'Subscribe to Microsoft 365 to use Defender', something I already subscribe to and am signed in to.
My take on this is it is an unsolicited Microsoft scam, designed to worry people into taking out a subscription but I'm open to hear otherwise. I have raised this directly to Microsoft who have failed to reply.
#92
Networking & Routers / Re: iDNet and security
Last post by Tacitus - Jul 10, 2025, 11:02:19Quote from: nowster on Jul 09, 2025, 10:04:01Apple Private Relay is a proxy, but with multiple layers like Tor. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/102602Thank you for the link, which is very informative.
And it's very likely that any VPN-like address will be on someone's blocklist regardless of who operates it.
I see Malwarebytes the anti-virus app, is also incorporating a VPN for 'privacy browsing'.
#93
Networking & Routers / Re: iDNet and security
Last post by nowster - Jul 09, 2025, 10:04:01Quote from: Tacitus on Jul 09, 2025, 08:31:06Yes I have an iCloud+ sub, mainly for the 50Gb cloud storage, but it also gives me private relay. AFAICT it's an Apple owned proxy, but I agree it could be a full VPN.
Apple Private Relay is a proxy, but with multiple layers like Tor. https://support.apple.com/en-gb/102602
And it's very likely that any VPN-like address will be on someone's blocklist regardless of who operates it.
#94
Networking & Routers / Re: iDNet and security
Last post by Tacitus - Jul 09, 2025, 08:31:06Quote from: zappaDPJ on Jul 08, 2025, 19:50:17@Tacitus it appears you may have an iCloud+ subscription from Apple with iCloud Private Relay enabled? If so that is the likely trigger for the ban. It would be useful to confirm this before we look at what options are available to us. Thanks@ZappaDPJ:
Thanks to you and @nowster for replying.
Yes I have an iCloud+ sub, mainly for the 50Gb cloud storage, but it also gives me private relay. AFAICT it's an Apple owned proxy, but I agree it could be a full VPN. I removed the rogue "free" adblocker which came with a VPN I was expected to pay for. For all Apple's talk about security etc, the App Store comes with its own selection of scams and underhand dealing.
I turned off private relay overnight. When I restarted the machine it was giving me a different IP. This one is from a different range so it looks as though Apple rotate them. Whether they do this automatically or only when you do a restart I don't know. I obviously hit one in a range that the VPN also used.
There could be several other "Apple" Ips on the block list but I've no way of knowing. Might be worth talking to Apple.
I'm logged on with Safari at present so we'll see how it goes.
#95
Networking & Routers / Re: iDNet and security
Last post by nowster - Jul 08, 2025, 22:30:50Quote from: zappaDPJ on Jul 08, 2025, 19:50:17...you may have an iCloud+ subscription from Apple with iCloud Private Relay enabled?And that would explain why Safari was not showing your iDNet IP address. iCloud is providing a VPN (or possibly Web proxy) service to Safari.
#96
Networking & Routers / Re: iDNet and security
Last post by zappaDPJ - Jul 08, 2025, 19:50:17@Tacitus it appears you may have an iCloud+ subscription from Apple with iCloud Private Relay enabled? If so that is the likely trigger for the ban. It would be useful to confirm this before we look at what options are available to us. Thanks 
#97
Networking & Routers / Re: iDNet and security
Last post by Tacitus - Jul 08, 2025, 16:45:41I've used the Developer menu in Safari to clear the caches. This worked once but after I logged out of Netters and back in again, the message that I'm permanently banned reappeared.
Is there any way of working round this at the server end? When I installed the app from the App Store there were no red flags, but I'm beginning to wonder if this is persistent malware.
Is there any way of working round this at the server end? When I installed the app from the App Store there were no red flags, but I'm beginning to wonder if this is persistent malware.
#98
Networking & Routers / Re: iDNet and security
Last post by Tacitus - Jul 08, 2025, 16:30:09Removed adblocker, or at least I thought I had, and Safari seemed to work OK in the admin account. I downloaded from the App Store so it should have been free of malware.
I've now tried logging in as user and I still get the message that I'm blocked. I suppose it serves me right for trying what appeared to be an adblocker which unknown to me, also contained a VPN, something you don't find out until the app is installed.
Firefox seems to be OK which is what I'm using currently.
Anybody any ideas?
EDIT: I've just set the Developer menu in Safari and used that to clear the caches. So far it's working so we'll see how it goes.
I've now tried logging in as user and I still get the message that I'm blocked. I suppose it serves me right for trying what appeared to be an adblocker which unknown to me, also contained a VPN, something you don't find out until the app is installed.
Firefox seems to be OK which is what I'm using currently.
Anybody any ideas?
EDIT: I've just set the Developer menu in Safari and used that to clear the caches. So far it's working so we'll see how it goes.
#99
Networking & Routers / Re: iDNet and security
Last post by nowster - Jul 06, 2025, 23:36:10Quote from: Tacitus on Jul 06, 2025, 19:53:36I've heard good things about the NordVPN...
Which is one VPN I wouldn't touch with a bargepole. There has to be a reason why they heavily advertise and sponsor.
I'd suggest Mullvad as possibly the best of a bad bunch.
#100
Networking & Routers / Re: iDNet and security
Last post by Tacitus - Jul 06, 2025, 19:53:36Quote from: nowster on Jul 06, 2025, 11:09:42No browser can obscure your IP address. It's an essential part of the Internet Protocol (in this case version 4 of it).Don't doubt you're right. I can only go by what the Gibson Shields Up site reports which "sees' my IP as something very different to the actual one. Or at least it says it does.....
Quote from: nowster on Jul 06, 2025, 11:09:42But VPNs don't stop tracking cookies (and other underhand stuff).I use other means to deal with tracking cookies alhtough with device fingerprinting and the other underhand stuff, it's probably futile.
Agree with your comments on VPNs and security. I've heard good things about the NordVPN, but I doubt the users would realise whether or not their stuff was being watched. It's one of the reasons I'm not keen on anonymous proxies. Whilst they may present a spoofed IP to the end web site, the fact that your info passes through someone else's server is a risk in itself.