Wannacrypt makes an easy case for Linux

crosscourt · 2017-05-20 23:23

My wife came to me when the news came out about the first ransomware wave and said its time to switch to Linux.

Ive had many discussions with a variety of people after all this recent news about moving to Linux.

Read more here, https://www.hardocp.com/news/2017/05/19 … _for_linux

Last edited by crosscourt (2017-05-20 23:30)

Dai_trying · 2017-05-21 08:53

Yes I can see there will be a lot of interest for users to switch to Linux, but also you must remember that the more Linux users there are the higher the chances of malware/viruses/etc being written for and targeting Linux. At the end of the day if a user clicks a bad link and something gets uploaded/activated on their systems and they have (by mistake or ignorance) given it permision to run then they will suffer the same fate as if they were using Windows/Mac.
I'm not saying we are not safer, because Linux is more secure by design, just that there usually exists the need of user action to start/activate these things.
I have to admit I am usually pretty careful with all emails/internet activity, but that doesn't mean I will be protected by my Secure Linux Distro if I click on a link and answer yes to a popup requesting permission to do something.

There are many reassons (IMO) for people to use Linux, and the fact that it is not currently the (primary) target for malware/viruses/trojans/etc is just one, the biggest advantage in my eyes is the fact I can update my system in a few minutes and only on rare occaisions does it need to reboot (another couple of minutes) and then my system is fully up to date and I have only spent 5 minutes to do this. Again this could extend further if you allow automatic updates but I prefer to know exactly what my system is doing. If I compare that to my clean Windows 10 system (I only have this as there was no Linux option when I purchased it) downloading of updates last time I did it took approx 40 minutes, then a further 10-15 minutes to install them, this was followed by the need to reboot (another 7-8 minutes of blue screen "Please no not switch off... etc) and then upon restart another minute or two waiting for it to "complete the updates".

I'm ranting now so will stop, but when Windows 10 was first installed (after I wiped the computer down to get rid of the pre-installed software) it ran really quick and updates seemed quick too, but after a couple of months or so everythng is slowing down again! Thanks Microsoft!

crosscourt · 2017-05-21 16:43

No question that the user is the weak link with any OS but Linux offers the best chance for most people to avoid issues for the time being.
Ransomware can target any OS but Linux typically is easier to secure and users tend to be a bit more attentive.

As to Windows installs, Ive never had one that doesnt slow down over time and requires a lot of maintenance to run well.
Compare that to Linux where Ive got Linux installs that are 5 years old and no issues.

Last edited by crosscourt (2017-05-21 17:09)

johnrpm · 2017-05-22 09:47

At present microsoft is the easiest target for hackers, so they will probably focus on it and leave us alone, but I am sure that if linux became mainstream things would change, as we all seem to race towards IOT and as dependency on this grows, ie we need to turn on the toaster with a smartphone, water meters report usage etc, etc, hackers will be able to bring whole infrastructures down, on a national and international level.
As linux users we are preaching to the converted, but are probably going to feel the same effects as everyone else when things stop working, data mining... demands personal information to buy a pack of screws, databases containing all your habits, likes and dislikes, I to am starting to rant, so will stop.

Dai_trying · 2017-05-22 10:45

johnrpm wrote:

I to am starting to rant, so will stop.

I'm glad it's not just me

bin · 2017-05-22 12:45

The real Up and Coming Threat - The Internet of Things......grr, aaarghh, shouts at pigeons, swigs from can of Strongbow.............

JimW · 2017-05-22 14:04

"The Internet of Things"
And people are considered to be some of those "things"!
You probably hear me screaming along with you!

Dai_trying · 2017-05-22 14:25

@bin
Pass the can mate, I'm on the bench with ya!

johnrpm · 2017-05-22 16:28

This image by Banksy says it all.

http://mymodernmet.com/banksy-mobile-lovers-street-art/

crosscourt · 2017-05-22 20:29

I was actually enjoying the rants,

bin · 2017-05-23 06:15

....and right on cue https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/05/2 … ocks_worm/

It is interesting though that a couple of analyses have shown that XP itself was not such a big part of the problem, though that was a natural assumption given the level of XP use in the organisations with the major hits like the NHS.

johnrpm · 2017-05-23 11:34

If SMB is "at risk", I suppose FTP would be better, I will change my file server now.

Thanks for posting the link.

bin · 2017-05-23 11:51

johnrpm wrote:

If SMB is "at risk", I suppose FTP would be better, I will change my file server now.
Thanks for posting the link.

SMB is only at risk on Windows machines that have not been patched. As yet there's nothing to suggest new vulnerabilities, just opportunists looking to exploit machines which have not yet been patched.

Forgive me for suggesting this - but if you're exposing an FTP server to the outside world on port 21 please expect a busy time. If you look around you'll find that FTP is vanishing from the scenes. SFTP is a better option but requires more effort to set up. Either way round you need to ensure your server is configured to drop connections on hammering attempts. Obviously ensure you're not allowing anonymous access and deploy complex passwords. I'd really suggest a proper sftp server package which will make life so much easier.

crosscourt · 2017-05-23 22:13

Variations on Wannacry will be going on for quite awhile and Windows users better be smart and proactive.

Windows right now is a huge target and I wouldnt want to be relying on Microsoft to come to my rescue.

crosscourt · 2017-05-23 23:28

Just to add to Dai's comments, in fact two thirds of the infections with ransomware were on unpatched Windows 7 systems. WinXP suffered from crashes when infected so the affect was minimal.

Part of the issue for many is the auto updating in Windows has issues and many times isnt keeping the system safe. Ive had to fix many systems where Windows updater wasnt functioning properly. It isnt exclusive to Windows 7 as all versions like 8/10 can have the issue but 7 was heavily affected.

johnrpm · 2017-05-24 00:48

I confess to skim reading the article, on re-reading the links i understand that samba is OK, but smb v1 is vunerable, please correct me if I have it wrong.

crosscourt, on the extremely rare occasions I boot win7 , at least 2 months ago, updates don't happen, despite being granted, what is the fix you use.
I only keep win7 for a couple of applications, but hate it, the hard disk light is still thrashing for ages on boot and runs a lot hotter than linux.

crosscourt · 2017-05-24 01:23

Samba is ok to my knowledge.

As to fixing Win 7 updater I couldnt give you a straight answer as there are many causes for the problem. Id need to see your pc to see what you have installed.

Id definitely start with the Windows 7 update troubleshooter which may be able to fix it up front with no other actions.

If you Google, Windows 7 doesnt update, there are many articles that exhibit the many versions of this problem and there are a variety of methods, sometimes combination of fixes to solve it.

For instance, there are a number of patches for hotfixing the updater as well as a newer version of the updater, that works for some. Some Windows 7 updates can cause the problem as well and may need to be removed.

Initially I thought it was a plot to frustrate Win7 users so they would upgrade to Win10. In fact some people had issues because of the Win10 add ons put on peoples pc to advertise and force people to upgrade.

If your hard drive is thrashing a lot, check to see what apps/services are running and turn off anything you arent using at boot. Remove any apps that you arent using and use an app to clean the drive and registry, scan for viruses-malware,then defragment the drive. Win7 overall hasnt been a big problem and runs pretty well and doesnt cause any overheating of my system. It does require a lot more maintenance than Linux.

bin · 2017-05-24 06:18

Having had a number of folks with non-updating W7 - one from April 2015 - I've found that wsus offline http://download.wsusoffline.net/
is the only tool that will sort the mess out in one go. Avoid all those dodgy registry scripts and various bottles of snake oil.

Essentially you download the package and unpack it. One program is used to analyse and download a list of updates, then the updater - in one of the folders - has to be run to apply the updates. You can select just Windows or Office or both to update. It does take time but it works.

After that you can run Windows update as normal and it will work.

johnrpm · 2017-05-24 12:19

Thank you crosscourt and bin for the good advise.

crosscourt · 2017-05-24 22:19

The problems with Windows 7 update arent always solved by updating and in fact some changes may have to be made in the registry or elsewhere in the system.

WSUS offline is definitely worth a try but unfortunately I havent always had good results with it in regards to Windows update issues.

Last edited by crosscourt (2017-05-24 23:14)

Dai_trying · 2017-05-24 23:36

I have used wsus offline and had some good results with it when I used to use windows more often, however I did have a few issues when they updated it and as I didn't use it very often I decided it was not worth looking into, but it may have been an easy fix I just didn't want to justify spending time on systems I didn't really like anyhow. but up to that point it had worked really well and made updating my Vista sytems a lot quicker and easier.

crosscourt · 2017-05-25 00:09

wsus offline works but just being able to update isnt necessarily going to solve all Windows issues and on rare occasions can make it worse.

The unfortunate issue with Windows is, its simply not as consistent as it needs to be and it makes it difficult at times to correct issues without doing direct investigation on the system having the issue.

One of my Win7 pcs had registry issues and a few hidden updates from Microsoft associated with Win10 that caused some problems and I had to dig in and correct it. Another system one of my apps a Virus program was causing the issue and another system a registry cleaner had damaged some settings that needed to be fixed.

Damaged files are a common cause and doing a system file check may solve it. Microsoft created that issue due to bad updates and the Win10 silliness.

Last edited by crosscourt (2017-05-25 00:19)

johnrpm · 2017-06-18 21:44

Thanks BIN for the wsus offline link, after a lengthy gap using windows I tried it and it worked, I would not have used it without your recommendation, after Q4os windows is just a pain to use, even Mint feels sluggish.

johnrpm · 2017-06-18 21:50

Thanks BIN for the wsus offline link, after a lengthy gap using windows I tried it and it worked, I would not have used it without your recommendation, after Q4os windows is just a pain to use, even Mint feels sluggish.

crosscourt, thanks for the good advice, I am waiting for scorpion to replace mint and maybe blow windows away on my lenovo T61p thinkpad, at 6 or 7 years old is the newest pc I have.

Last edited by johnrpm (2017-06-18 21:50)

crosscourt · 2017-06-18 22:18

Most of my pcs are 5-7 years old, with a few far older and they work great. Mint is heavy for older laptops and using a lighter distro is preferable.
I use Q4OS on almost all my older laptops with a few strays still using Lubuntu and WattOS, that Ill eventually convert.

Q4OS Forum

#1 2017-05-20 23:23

Wannacrypt makes an easy case for Linux

#2 2017-05-21 08:53

Re: Wannacrypt makes an easy case for Linux

#3 2017-05-21 16:43

Re: Wannacrypt makes an easy case for Linux

#4 2017-05-22 09:47

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#5 2017-05-22 10:45

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#6 2017-05-22 12:45

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#7 2017-05-22 14:04

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#8 2017-05-22 14:25

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#9 2017-05-22 16:28

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#10 2017-05-22 20:29

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#11 2017-05-23 06:15

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#12 2017-05-23 11:34

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#13 2017-05-23 11:51

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#14 2017-05-23 22:13

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#16 2017-05-24 00:48

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#17 2017-05-24 01:23

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#19 2017-05-24 12:19

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#21 2017-05-24 23:36

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#22 2017-05-25 00:09

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#23 2017-06-18 21:44

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#24 2017-06-18 21:50

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