When HitmanPro uploads a file to cloud, what about privacy?

[omega3]

When running HitmanPro, from time to time it uploads a file to the cloud for further scanning from what I understand. My question is, what happens to those files? Like if these are doc files containing personal or sensitive information, what happens to these files concerning privacy?

Also, wiki mentions that HitmanPro is owned by Sophos but uses Bitdefender and Kaspersky Lab as in-cloud technology partners. Can those 3 companies be trusted with your data and what do they do with it as they upload files to their cloud? Do those these 3 companies have strict privacy rules or could your data end up in the wrong hands and be used fraudulent. Bitdefender is Romanian which always made me suspicious of that company. Also, the fact that all these companies make free software makes me wonder even more what they do with your data.

 

[balloonshark]

FWIW I believe most AV's use some sort of cloud scanning nowadays. I'm using Avira free and it uses a thing called "protection cloud". I do have the option to allow or disallow a file sent to them though.

In hitman pro's settings you have at least 3 options involving the uploading of files. The best thing though is to encrypt any sensitive data.

To be honest I'm more concerned with the way Windows telemetry hammers on my hard drives daily.

 

[omega3]

But what exactly do antivirus companies like Hitmanpro (and in their case their partners Bitdefender en Kaspersky) with files uploaded to their clouds for scanning? Can they sell that data and what exactly?

 

[balloonshark]

I honestly don't know. That information wasn't mentioned in their support faqs. The only thing I know to do is contact them and ask them yourself.

https://www.hitmanpro.com/en-us/support-hmp.aspx

 

[JEDIYoda]

I can`t even believe you are asking these questions....

 

[omega3]

I can`t even believe you are asking these questions....

What's wrong with my question? Do you know what happens with files AV scanners upload to their cloud?

 

[omega3]

I honestly don't know. That information wasn't mentioned in their support faqs. The only thing I know to do is contact them and ask them yourself.

https://www.hitmanpro.com/en-us/support-hmp.aspx

Do you think they would tell if they sold your data to third parties? Maybe that's the reason HitmanPro is free?

 

[balloonshark]

Do you think they would tell if they sold your data to third parties? Maybe that's the reason HitmanPro is free?

I believe Sophos is a pretty well respected company. They also recently bought Sandboxie which I also use. If they were caught selling your data to a third party it would hurt their business.

I've always assumed these free cloud scanners were a way for them to get you buy their paid products. It also gives them access to new unidentified malware faster than in the past.

 

[VirtualLarry]

A/V companies have always been in bed with the intelligence agencies.

Early A/V products, simply hashed all of your files, and sent the list of hashes to their "master collection server".

Therefore, any file that the gov't had a copy of (and it's corresponding hash), they could tell if you had that file on your HDD.

Nowadays, with "cloud scanning", they even steal a bitwise copy of any files that they don't already have in their "hash collection".

It's really pretty draconian.