Off topic security updates and XP

[CJB]

Risks-Forum Digest Saturday 13 May 2017 Volume 30 : Issue 29
Date: Fri, 12 May 2017 16:27:31 -0700
From: Lauren Weinstein
Subject: Today's Massive Ransomware Attack Was Mostly Preventable --

Here's How To Avoid It (Gizmodo)

NNSquad

http://gizmodo.com/today-s-massive-ransomware-attack-was-mostly-preventabl-1795179984

Here's what happened: Unknown attackers deployed a virus targeting
Microsoft servers running the file sharing protocol Server Message
Block (SMB). Only servers that weren't updated after March 14 with the
MS17-010 patch were affected; this patch resolved an exploit known as
ExternalBlue, once a closely guarded secret of the National Security
Agent, which was leaked last month by ShadowBrokers, a hacker group
that first revealed itself last summer. The ransomware, aptly named
WannaCry, did not spread because of people clicking on bad links. The
only way to prevent this attack was to have already installed the
update.

CJB

On 14/05/2017, Dave Widgery <dave.widgery at gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi a bit off topic but in view of the recent malware attack and some
> of us still using windows XP I thought I would share this tip if
> anyone was not previously aware.
>
> An addition of a registry key that enables a continuation of security
> updates on XP see pcworld article below.   I did this a year or so ago
> and regularly receive updates.
>
> But if you haven't already done this I would ensure that you have a
> good backup as you are likely to receive a large number of updates
> with the potential of causing a few problems depending on your system
> configuration, I also haven't checked if there is a security update
> for this particular malware, so I would also recommend a good
> antivirus.
>
>
> Dave
>
> http://www.pcworld.com/article/2310301/windows-xp-registry-hack-keeps-the-security-updates-rolling.html
> <div id="DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2"><br />
> <table style="border-top: 1px solid #D3D4DE;">
> 	<tr>
>         <td style="width: 55px; padding-top: 13px;"><a
> href="https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail"
> target="_blank"><img
> src="https://ipmcdn.avast.com/images/icons/icon-envelope-tick-round-orange-animated-no-repeat-v1.gif"
> alt="" width="46" height="29" style="width: 46px; height: 29px;"
> /></a></td>
> 		<td style="width: 470px; padding-top: 12px; color: #41424e;
> font-size: 13px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
> line-height: 18px;">Virus-free. <a
> href="https://www.avast.com/sig-email?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail"
> target="_blank" style="color: #4453ea;">www.avast.com</a>
> 		</td>
> 	</tr>
> </table><a href="#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2" width="1"
> height="1"></a></div>
>
> _______________________________________________
> get_iplayer mailing list
> get_iplayer at lists.infradead.org
> http://lists.infradead.org/mailman/listinfo/get_iplayer
>