Windows

Hacking MS Team

July 30, 2015 — Leave a comment

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What is your very fist impression, when you hear a name for a group – the Hacking Team? Probably, not such a positive one. Right? Who is to blame us, for our cyber prejudices? However, in this particular case, the busy little bees in the Hacking Team helped both Microsoft and us, a lot.

The Hacking Team has identified a security bug associated with the specific font’s driver. On the other side, grandpa Microsoft has delivered a security update, silently and efficiently. This is how it is supposed to be done. I tell you that something is wrong or broken. You fix it.

The end of potentially dangerous cyber story. As simple and as complicated as that. We have to say that we area dying to hear, what grandpa Microsoft sent to the Hacking Team as a sign of its gratitude. This is something we would like to hear and share with you.

It seems that every time your hear words, such as hacking or a hacker, this does not necessarily mean that something bad is going to happen. Just ask grandpa Microsoft, we are quite sure, it has so much to tell you about it. Good job, Hacking Team!

No Keys, No Doors, Only Windows

July 2, 2015 — Leave a comment

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There are so many new things that we are very likely to experience with Windows 10. It is almost impossible to keep a track of them all. It seems that every single element in the great MS puzzle is going to be turned upside down or replaced. This also includes the legendary activation keys, as well.

From what we know for sure, Windows 10 activation is going to be a fully automatized process. You will not be required to do a thing about it. So, forget about all those activation key numbers and letters you have to type patiently and precisely. This thing is a history now.

If you already own a legal version of Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, then this is supposed to be a carefree experience. Right? You wake up one lovely day in July, and you realize that your computer runs in the new Windows 10 environment. So, what is going to happen with the illegal “leftovers”?

Apparently, they will have to purchase Windows 10, or deal with the activation key in some of the older Windows versions. We all know that at the end of the long business day at Microsoft, all that is going to truly matter, is how many people bought or use the new shiny OS star called – Windows 10.

Open Your Door Grandpa Microsoft

May 9, 2015 — Leave a comment

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Why would grandpa Microsoft do such a thing? What kind of a door we are referring to? Well, we are eager to witness a moment when Windows will be treated as an open source code. Why? Well, this is supposed to improve its cyber security. Something is obviously wrong with this picture.

It is a bold and ear-catching claim to ask for an open source code Windows, but how grandpa Microsoft feels about it? If it is going to be free to access and alter, does it also mean that you can get it for free, as well? On the other hand, the strongest argument for an open source is improved security. How?

Allegedly, the new open source structure can help you to access Windows more easily in search for bugs and vulnerabilities. So, who is stopping you to do it right now? What about all previous successful bug bounty hunters? They did not ask for a permission, did they?

This is definitely a wrong turn for our troubled thoughts. Let grandpa Microsoft does its job the best it can. We do not need an open door, at all. If you want to improve Windows security and eliminate potential vulnerabilities, go on and earn some fair money. Grandpa Microsoft can be generous.

The US XP Army

April 24, 2015 — Leave a comment

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There are up to 10,000 computers in the US Army, which still run Windows XP. It is not an easy thing, migrating such a huge and sensitive system to a new OS. Right? So, what are the available options? Well, for what is worth, the US Army would like to play around with the XP for at least one more year.

The grandpa Microsoft was extremely patriotic and helpful, for an appropriate price, of course. Because the XP is officially off the Windows support radar, the additional security patches cost approximately $200 per year. Have we forgotten to mention that this is a price for a single computer.

Now, you see what is the potential problem here. Here is another, even a bigger one. If you want to jump in the next year in terms of support, then you have to double your expenses. So, it is not $200, but rather $400 for a single computer. That means $4 million instead of $2 million. Is that right?

That is why, the US Army is looking for a third-party to take care of its precious XP for a more affordable price. Seriously? The entire defense system is potentially jeopardized, because of the price issue. Seriously? Something is not right here. What is the price of updating the XP with the Windows 8?

Microsoft vs Pirates

April 23, 2015 — Leave a comment

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It took grandpa Microsoft eleven years to shut down the pirate Windows 2000 and Windows NT 4.0 source code. Better ever than never. Is that a new motto in an endless and epic fight against the online piracy? Or, maybe we are supposed to send a completely different kind of a message to the pirates.

No matter where you are, and no matter how long is going to take, we are going to get you, sooner or later, this way or another. However, the damage has already been done. What is there for Microsoft possible to gain? Some kind of a personal satisfaction in a constant pursuit after the cyber justice?

So many things are in the troubled mind of our dear grandpa Microsoft. Windows 10 is so much more than the latest OS. The pirate versions of the extremely popular and stubborn XP and Windows 7 OS systems are the self-eating cancer in the once very profitable Microsoft’s tissue, for real.

You just cannot shut down millions of computers all over the world, which are running the private versions, can you? On the other hand, you cannot pretend that business is as usual. Right? One pirate ship is down. The entire fleet is still around somewhere. Is grandpa Microsoft to tired to sail again?

The Deadly Window

April 22, 2015 — Leave a comment

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The busy little bee called the Cylance come up with the disturbing discovery. It turns out that every single Windows version, including the Windows 10 Technical Preview, can be hacked and passwords easily extracted. How? Who left the window open for the hackers? What about Cylance’s discovery?

It is a weak comfort, but the grandpa Microsoft has already acknowledged the “mistake”, which allows you to control a device in an unprecedented way. How? According to the Cylance, all you have to do is to infiltrate a malicious link into the targeted computer. And voila, you are in the full control.

While Microsoft is already working on an appropriate security patch, we have a simple question to ask. Even the most sophisticated and deadliest viruses known to the cyber community need a helping hand from the inside. Unless you open a door yourself, there is no real danger of the cyber doom.

We are hopelessly obsessed with the harmful effect of a certain virus that we completely neglect, how we got infected in the first place. That is the catch we are neglecting so easily. Do not be an easy target for a newbie or an average hacker. This is something you can really do. How hard could it be?

The Security Patch Wars

January 29, 2015 — Leave a comment

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It all started when Google had published a report about one extremely security flaw in the Windows 8 system. Microsoft was furious. For them that was an obvious sign of practices, which cannot be treated as fair and positive in their nature. In its defense Google said that it has waited long enough.

How long exactly? Well, more than 90 days, that was for sure. There is an unwritten rule that you have to wait for 90 days before you go public with your security flaw discovery. Why? This is a time period left for the warned party to do something about it and come up with the proper security patch.

Then, Microsoft decided to fight back with an announcement about the security trouble with the latest Android 5.0, or better known as the Lollipop. In the meantime, Google has found some security risks in the IOS, as well. Huh, and there is more. Google has just published two additional Windows security risks.

What is there for us, the users? This war of security patches is supposed to improve our safety and privacy. Instead, all what is left for hackers to do is to sit and wait for the next I-found-something-wrong report. By the time the appropriate security patch hits the network, you can rest assured they will take an advantage of the situation.

Google Bug Whistleblower

January 27, 2015 — Leave a comment

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What is happening with Google? It seems that they just cannot have enough of their a finger in the eye policy. What are we talking about? Well, the busy little bees in Google identify a bug in their competitor’s system. The worse it gets, the better it works for Google security experts. What is the next move?

They wait for 90 days and then they go public with their findings. This is exactly what happened with Microsoft. It was definitely a painful thing for someone to publish a detailed explanationnabout a bug in your system. This MS bug allows hackers to pay an unwanted visit to your Windows 8 at any given moment.

Now, Apple is in a similar situation. There is a similar bug in the OS. We also had the 90-day waiting period. The word about this bug is out. Just like with the Microsoft, in the previous case, Apple itself cannot do much about it. Actually, there is one thing to be done in this situation, which makes sense.

You have to come up with the appropriate security patch, haven’t you? That is the trouble. This is not something you can do in a blink of an eye. While you are waiting the users are trembling, and the competitors are celebrating. You can rest assured that your damage report at the end of the day is going to be a huge one.

Forshaw’s Patch

January 8, 2015 — Leave a comment

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There is a busy little cyber bee, who works in Google. One day, we are not quite sure if he was curious or bored, this bee has discovered a serious security flaw in Windows 8.1. This guy works and publish under a nickname Forshaw. So, are you eager to know what went wrong with Windows 8.1?

Apparently, there is a way for you to gain administrator’s privileges, and all of that completely undetected. What can you do with them? Well, it comes without saying that in this case sky is the limit. Literally. Forshaw has done both necessary things in this unfortunate and embarrassing situation.

On the side, he has informed Microsoft directly about his findings. On the other side, he has published his conclusions supported with the proper evidence. So far, Microsoft has been silent on this one. Nevertheless, it is only a matter of time before the new patch hits our cyber shores with a solution.

For what is worth, Microsoft itself has some other troubles on its mind. What is going to happen with the new Windows 10 and how successful it is going to be? This is undoubtedly the mother of all questions for Microsoft at this moment. We sure hope that this bug will not wish to move to the new OS version.

The Virus Of Impatience

December 5, 2014 — Leave a comment

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It seems that there are quite a few Microsoft users, who are the same time huge Kaspersky fans, with some proper patience problems. Windows 10 Technical Preview is such an irresistible thing that they cannot wait to install Kaspersky. Yet, the trouble in this case is the lack of adequate compatibility.

Windows 10 Technical Preview build 9879 is an obvious example. Kaspersky 2015 refuses to make friends with the latest Windows version. Why? Well, it is supposed to be simple. The busy little bees in Microsoft are still working on the fully compatible version for the Windows 10. What about other options?

Here is something you have not heard it from us. You can try this one at home, but do not blame us for the troubles. For example, you have a file kav15.0.1.415en_6868.exe. As expected, it does not work on Windows 10 Technical Preview. Yet, there is something you can do. What exactly?

You can change the last four numbers 6868 with the new ones 9879. Now try it again. It actually may work. This is definitely not a recommended thing to do, but if your impatience is your biggest problem even more serious compared to the security itself, then go for it. For what is worth, you have been warned.