If you are using Microsoft Antivirus 2009 (Security Essentials), you might be knowing that there is no option to disable the Spynet from sending information to Microsoft. Read the following procedure given below to disable and prevent spynet from sending personal information to Microsoft.

Spynet is a actually a telemtry system Microsoft uses to quality control definition updates after they are released. According to the Microsoft news release, SpyNet reports back on the efficacy of old definition file removal and the implementation of new definitions, as well as how detection rates on false positives.

Microsoft Spynet provides two types of memberships. Basic and Advanced. The default option, Basic, reports to Microsoft on where a potentially infected file came from, what your action was, what the recommended action was, and whether the action taken was successful.The Advanced membership in SpyNet will send even more information to Microsoft, including the location on disk of your potential infection, how it has affected your computer, and how it operates.

I think there is actually nothing too much to fear about this ‘spynet’ stuff. It only helps you in giving some better protection and by sending out data like file location, size and maybe hash values of suspicious files. If you’re so much concerned about your privacy then read the below steps to disable spynet reporting from Microsoft security essentials.

Steps to Disable/ Prevent Spynet From Sending Information to Microsoft

Go to Start > Run

Type Regedit and press enter.

Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Antimalware\SpyNet

Right click on Spynet and choose permissions.

You will see a window similar to above, then click on your USERNAME from “Group or Usernames” menu and tick allow in Full control options.

Click OK

Now go to the “SpyNetReporting” on the right hand side

and right click and select modify.

Change the Value to 0 as shown in figure.

Now open the Microsoft security essentials > Settings > Spynet . You will see that none of the option for Microsoft spynet is selected.

That’s it. Spynet has been disabled from Microsoft security essentials and now onwards none of your information will be send to Microsoft through Spynet reporting.

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