Windows Critical Update

[Gator6x4]

Microsoft has issued a CRITICAL UPDATE for Windows. They also included Windows 7 a version they stopped supporting in the Update. I wonder if this is what happened to TopNewsTalk? Servers were also attacked.

Microsoft issues emergency Windows patch to fix critical ‘PrintNightmare’ vulnerability

Microsoft has rated this as a critical issue.

www.theverge.com

 

[TractorTYMe]

MS has soooooo many vulnerabilities, it is truly hard to tell. Hackers are still using loopholes meant for the guberment to snoop in yer stuff.....funny enough. I've worked in IT since the mid 90's.

 

[tibadoe]

No surprise there. If it's man made software anything - it is vulnerable to anything. Some more than others.

 

[MoKelly]

Does Apple have these problems?

MoKelly

 

[Gator6x4]

Does Apple have these problems?

MoKelly

Yes but they do not tell about it. The largest user device hack ever was on Apple Devices.

Apple Execs Chose to Keep a Hack of 128 Million iPhones Quiet

Emails from the Epic Games lawsuit show Apple brass discussing how to handle a 2015 iOS hack. The company never directly notified affected users.

www.wired.com

 

[Jchonline]

Yes but they do not tell about it. The largest user device hack ever was on Apple Devices.

Apple Execs Chose to Keep a Hack of 128 Million iPhones Quiet

Emails from the Epic Games lawsuit show Apple brass discussing how to handle a 2015 iOS hack. The company never directly notified affected users.

www.wired.com

Apple has nowhere near the problems Microsoft does with hacking. The iOS hack you posted didn’t actually do anything malicious. I seriously doubt it could have given the OS and security escalation procedures Apple OS has in place.

So no it really isn’t a comparison…like Apples to Buffalo.

That said there is always the possibility Apple OS will have vulnerabilities…but they are much much much less likely. Why? Apple OS X was based on Unix, which is a Network OS built from the ground up for security. Windows x.x ran on top of DOS, which was designed for user friendliness and compatibility with a large number of hardware integrations.

Fundamentally Windows will never be close to Apple with regards to security unless they completely trash the foundation of the OS they use and start over.

I still use them both and like them for different reasons.

 

[MoKelly]

I have a MAC and I’ve never had a problem. Ever. Never.

The iPhone never has issues either.

But I’ve had 2 window pc’s that got infected and had to be rebooted back to a prior time. Don’t understand it all but windows seems to be lots more vulnerable at least in my limited experiences.

MoKelly

 

[grsthegreat]

The main, and I mean main reason apples don’t get hacked is cause they probibly account for only 10% of computers. Lets face it, I hate windows, but they have the lions share of the industry. So if you want to infect lots of computers, go after the largest pot.

i run my desktop windows thru a sandbox, and have never, never had an issue that compromised my unit. And I NEVER have updated my windows 7. I tried 3 different win10 machines, and all we slower and all gave me a blue screen of death cause they forced updates. I sent all 3 back.

 

[MoKelly]

The main, and I mean main reason apples don’t get hacked is cause they probibly account for only 10% of computers. Lets face it, I hate windows, but they have the lions share of the industry. So if you want to infect lots of computers, go after the largest pot.

i run my desktop windows thru a sandbox, and have never, never had an issue that compromised my unit. And I NEVER have updated my windows 7. I tried 3 different win10 machines, and all we slower and all gave me a blue screen of death cause they forced updates. I sent all 3 back.

That makes sense for computers.

So, I guess I better be quiet and not encourage others to go MAC!!!

Carry on folks - use windows.

MoKelly

 

[Tinhack]

My Win7 machine doesn't like the link provided by The Verge. I wonder if this is another attempt by MS to root all the old versions of Windows. They've tried that before so I stopped running MS updates. MS even went so far as to try and update my boot options on several update attempts. I just don't trust them any more.

By the way, the Verge link tries to run Flash Player to load software. Don't click on that either.

 

[BravoXray]

The patch that MS issued doesn't fix the PrintNightmare problem.
Leave it to MS to screwup the screwup.

Microsoft’s emergency patch fails to fix critical “PrintNightmare” vulnerability

 

[TractorGuy]

My old WIN 7 PC won't even update to service pack 1. I finally gave up trying.

I'm gonna jinx myself here but it's been so long since my machine got a virus I can't remember what I had to do to fix it. It's only happened a couple of times in my life dating back to DOS days. Never lost all my stuff when it did. I have NEVER run any third party virus protection software.

<tin foil hat> I always figured it was the virus protection software people that were creating the viruses to begin with </tin foil hat>

 

[jjp8182]

The main, and I mean main reason apples don’t get hacked is cause they probibly account for only 10% of computers. Lets face it, I hate windows, but they have the lions share of the industry. So if you want to infect lots of computers, go after the largest pot.

i run my desktop windows thru a sandbox, and have never, never had an issue that compromised my unit. And I NEVER have updated my windows 7. I tried 3 different win10 machines, and all we slower and all gave me a blue screen of death cause they forced updates. I sent all 3 back.

Though I'd expect who's using what also plays a part in that as well and given how many US government agencies and defense corporations are moving toward (or already have) a mix of Windows, Apple, Android devices......

May just be me, but I have a hard time seeing how/why cyber criminals (or foreign governments) would waste time targeting private individuals when there are much more profitable (or even just more gullible) entities to target.

The effort to reward ratio of intentionally going after specific individuals really wouldn't seem to make sense beyond someone out for revenge.

Personally as little of value as I generally keep on my internet-connected computers it'd seem a waste to even bother targeting them.....

 

[rekees4300]

Microsoft has a patch available.

Get updating: Microsoft delivers PrintNightmare patch for more Windows versions | ZDNet

 

[Hughman]

There are choices beyond windows and apple. Anybody else running Linux?

 

[kenmbz]

I have two linux boxes, PCs and at work sometimes Macs.
I am on both the windows and MAc security email lists.
Since most money runs through PCs, that is where the focus goes.
Plenty of zero day issues on Macs, but since they don;t allow much in the way of third party devices, less driver issues, but all less choice and more $
I use the linux boxes for utility (NAS and vortex) they are a pain for initial setup, but not too bad after that.
Have had to do a few emergency updates, but not anywhere near the number for the other OSs.

 

[Gator6x4]

There are choices beyond windows and apple. Anybody else running Linux?

Unless you understand program coding I would advise staying away from Linux.

If you want to jump in the Linux pond here are the top named versions.

Best Linux Distros for Beginners

1. Ubuntu. Easy to use. ...
2. Linux Mint. Familiar user interface with Windows. ...
3. Zorin OS. Windows-like user interface. ...
4. Elementary OS. macOS inspired user interface. ...
5. Linux Lite. Windows-like user interface. ...
6. Manjaro Linux. Not an Ubuntu-based distribution. ...
7. Pop!_ OS. ...
8. Peppermint OS. Lightweight Linux distribution.

 

[Oaktree]

<tin foil hat> I always figured it was the virus protection software people that were creating the viruses to begin with </tin foil hat>

I've often wondered the same thing. Job security.

Unless you understand program coding I would advise staying away from Linux.

Or have the neighborhood geek on speed dial.

Actually, as kenmbz noted, once it's set up it's OK once you get used to it and are willing to accept that some software isn't available for it and that changing settings, installing new programs, etc. is going to be a PITA.
I'm actually a bit surprised more enterprise software isn't linux-based (ie-bank teller terminals, automation controllers or other specialty applications). More secure and way less likely employees will download/install stuff they shouldn't.

 

[Gator6x4]

I've often wondered the same thing. Job security.

Or have the neighborhood geek on speed dial.

Actually, as kenmbz noted, once it's set up it's OK once you get used to it and are willing to accept that some software isn't available for it and that changing settings, installing new programs, etc. is going to be a PITA.
I'm actually a bit surprised more enterprise software isn't linux-based (ie-bank teller terminals, automation controllers or other specialty applications). More secure and way less likely employees will download/install stuff they shouldn't.

Banks and other Financial Institutions do not use Open Source Software because of security issues.

"Proprietary software (Windows) is more secure than open-source software. (Linux) ... But a commercial license doesn't assure security. Unlike proprietary software, open-source software is transparent about potential vulnerabilities."

 

[MikeFarm]

> Banks and other Financial Institutions do not use
> Open Source Software because of security issues.

Rubbish. They all use open source software at various levels in their organisation. e.g. OpenUK's latest report paints a rosy picture of open source adoption
It will be used in their back end servers, software stacks, databases, web servers and lots more.

You only have to look at the certs that come out on the vulnerabilities and look at the time-to-patch to see what OS's get an A and those that get a D-
And it hasn't changed for decades.

Mike