WannaCrypt, WannaCry, NotPetya

It is a big Microsoft security waste of time, again and again...

The quality of computer software bears no relationship to its price.

In fact, the best software tends to be free.

I usually tell friends and family that I don't do Windows. They then assume that I am one of those weird Mac users. They are correct of course - I am weird and I use a Mac too - amongst many other types of machines, including those most annoying Windows machines...

Long ago, I used to tell people that they can use Microsoft software:

It is rather buggy, but it is cheap.

Nowadays however, it is still buggy and very expensive,
especially so when you factor in the maintenance cost.

If you are one of those weird people who insists on wasting money on expensive bad quality software, then you should immediately read this:
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2017/05/13/wannacrypt_ransomware_worm/

and this:
https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/msrc/2017/05/12/customer-guidance-for-wannacrypt-attacks/

and now this:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/petya-ransomwares-encryption-defeated-and-password-generator-released/

Unless you are a medical doctor and it is a matter of life or limb, please don't ask me to help you fix your messed up Windows machine, unless you want OpenBSD or Linux installed on it. BSD and Linux can do everything that Windows does and more, doesn't cost anything and doesn't break all the time - a good deal if ever there was one.

As O'l Bob Marley said:

"No Windows, No Cry..."

Note that most Windows malware worms spread through the File and Print server (SMB/CIFS). Therefore the main thing with Windows is to never, ever, ever enable 'File and Printer Sharing', since that starts up a server process and once running, it is a hassle to disable it again. You can disable File and Printer sharing in Network and Sharing Center, but it will *still* run - you need to stop it manually also.

After disabling File and Printer Sharing in the Network Sharing Center, you can stop the server with this command:
c:\> net stop server

Of course, you need to run the Windows command shell as administrator to do the above.

Note that data that isn't backed up, doesn't really exist...

Don't forget to send Thank You letters to Bill Gates, Steve Balmer and Satya Nadella. They are ultimately responsible for this mess, for creating and aggressively marketing computer software that is not fit for purpose.

-. --- / .-- .. -. -.. --- .-- ... --..-- / -. --- / -.-. .-. -.--

Cheers,

Herman

Comments

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