Who thought it was a good idea to e-mail activation codes?

I still get codes through Facebook and Twitter Direct Messages for Steam Games.. from Vendors....

 

nothing can be more insecure than that.

Now that might be compared to 'kids jumping off of a cliff' if others followed suit. :P

Now that might be compared to 'kids jumping off of a cliff' if others followed suit. :P

passing notes in class in the 90s was more secure than sending facebook messages.

passing notes in class in the 90s was more secure than sending facebook messages.

I will have to take your word on that since I haven't passed a note since the '60s. :P

passing notes in class in the 90s was more secure than sending facebook messages.

With my standard of handwriting, passing notes in lessons is more secure than anything on a computer.

I will have to take your word on that since I haven't passed a note since the '60s. :P

With my standard of handwriting, passing notes in lessons is more secure than anything on a computer.

you'd first have to know how to unfold my elite level origami folds without tearing the paper,

then you'd have to decypher my scrambled alphabet code.

Teachers hated when they intercepted my notes in school, and eventually they just gave up.

On that note, I have had Companies Direct message me Codes for Steam/Origin Games and when I entered the code, it was already redeemed by someone else.

I haven't had that problem with Emails, and I get A LOT of codes via Email.

While I think it would be more secure to not send the key in an e-mail, I also think that the security threat is being FAR overstated. Nothing is lost when you have a key stolen, unless you count the time it takes to receive a new key when you are out of activations. ED has been quite good about replacing keys up to this point, I don't see a reason to expect that to change.

I don't believe you get a new key when you use up all the activations but are granted a spare activation every 30 days. If nothing is lost when a key is stolen, then people could just sell their keys multiple times and keep using them as well, which I hope isn't possible for ED's finances not least.

Adobe, Ubisoft, The Flight Sim Store, FS Pilot Shop,...

 

Here is an example MS email.

I've asked Microsoft what their position is and so far they've said that when purchasing a product, you have to use a Microsoft e-mail (creating one if necessary), which if true would mean that the e-mails stay on their internal network and are never exposed on the unsecured Internet. The only exception to this apparently is products in the Home Use Program (HUP), which are purchased by firms for employees to use at home.

Has anyone experienced being sent a personal use product code by Microsoft to a non-MS e-mail account?

I've asked Microsoft what their position is and so far they've said that when purchasing a product, you have to use a Microsoft e-mail (creating one if necessary), which if true would mean that the e-mails stay on their internal network and are never exposed on the unsecured Internet. The only exception to this apparently is products in the Home Use Program (HUP), which are purchased by firms for employees to use at home.

 

Has anyone experienced being sent a personal use product code by Microsoft to a non-MS e-mail account?

That is what you were looking at. It was received on a comcast.net address.

EDIT: See attached MS account profile page.

I have receive MS office codes, Windows 7 & 8, etc.

Has anyone experienced being sent a personal use product code by Microsoft to a non-MS e-mail account?

6 different Windows 8 codes sent to a gmail address. And several Media Center add-ons also delivered that way.

Thanks guys. I suspected the MS rep might be talking BS but I wanted some confirmation before I called him out on it ;)

Thanks guys. I suspected the MS rep might be talking BS but I wanted some confirmation before I called him out on it ;)

I would be curious what they think a 'qualified' address would be.

I would be curious what they think a 'qualified' address would be.

I didn't say they mentioned 'qualified' addresses, so what do you mean?

I should have said 'What do they mean by 'Microsoft email'?

...you have to use a Microsoft e-mail (creating one if necessary),

I should have said 'What do they mean by 'Microsoft email'?

Ah, gotcha. I think he meant a Hotmail or Outlook address, anything that would stay on their internal network.

Ah, gotcha. I think he meant a Hotmail or Outlook address, anything that would stay on their internal network.

Outlook is just a mail client, but I know what you mean.

Mmm, I think I need to run a security Check on Doveman, sounds like he has experience in stealing emails?

Outlook is just a mail client, but I know what you mean.

As far as I know, they changed Hotmail.com to Outlook.com now, although existing hotmail.com addresses weren't changed.

Mmm, I think I need to run a security Check on Doveman, sounds like he has experience in stealing emails?

Ssh, don't tell anyone or I'll make all yours disappear too ;)

If I'm not mistaken they changed Hotmail to Live. As a former Microsoft MVP this is the first time I've heard about using "internal email" for receiving codes and similar. Over the years MS have sent me loads of codes (mostly for games under strict NDA's) to my email on a domain owned by myself. And that has never been a problem.

Well I recently bought a game on GamersGate and they didn't feel they need to expose my serial code on e-mail, so at least some firms act sensibly ;)

I thought each DCS serial is tied to owner's machine?

I thought each DCS serial is tied to owner's machine?

Well if someone intercepts your e-mail first, I guess it's tied to theirs ;)

Actually though, it's not actually tied to any particular machine as far as I know, there's just a limited number of activations. After those are used up, you just have to wait 30 days to get a bonus activation before you can do it again.

I think I read somewhere you need to inform ED after a major computer upgrade?

I think I read somewhere you need to inform ED after a major computer upgrade?

Well I can say that your crap quits working. Went from all AMD to Intel/AMD and everything freaked out. But the change was worth it. IMO.