[News] Microsoft patches Windows XP to fight 'WannaCrypt' attacks

[StyM]

https://www.engadget.com/2017/05/13/...ypt-NHS-patch/

Microsoft officially ended its support for most Windows XP computers back in 2014, but today it's delivering one more public patch for the 16-year-old OS. As described in a post on its Windows Security blog, it's taking this "highly unusual" step after customers worldwide including England's National Health Service suffered a hit from "WannaCrypt" ransomware. Microsoft patched all of its currently supported systems to fix the flaw back in March, but now there's an update available for unsupported systems too, including Windows XP, Windows 8 and Windows Server 2003, which you can grab here (note: if that link isn't working then there are direct download links available in the Security blog post).

[StyM]

http://hexus.net/tech/news/software/...es-across-nhs/

NHS England's local NHS systems and IT services have been buckling under "a suspected national cyber attack", according to reports coming through this afternoon. Areas noted to have been affected include; London, Blackburn, Blackpool, Nottingham, Cumbria and Hertfordshire.

In Blackpool, for example, phone and IT systems used by GPs have been shut down with doctors resorting to pen and paper. Similarly phones and IT systems in at the East and North Hertfordshire NHS trust which are reportedly out of action. Even more concerning are reports that people are being asked to stay away from A&E departments at hospitals in the two affected regions mentioned above. I'm sure most people would prefer not to go to A&E but are simply compelled to due to emergency… Computers working or not.

Microsoft has been working to issue patches in light of the large scale ransomware attack that affected some 99 countries yesterday. It has issued patches for WIndows XP and other custom support platforms. A TechNet blog post is available explaining the move and providing guidance.

[vario]

Probably 90% of these sorta attacks could be prevented if people were using vmboxes for their mail, or better yet some email client thats separated from os.
Most of the time someone gets an email with an exe, a pdf with injected virus or a direct link to a virus with hoax name like fedex or something.No wonder people like free stuff and are stupid.
"oooh a tracking number for a thing i never ordered and never payed, better check out what im getting!" ...

[Particle]

As much as I like the idea of forcing users to sandbox everything, it's unrealistic. They balk enough at having to press ctrl+alt+del to log in or having their screens auto-lock after 10 minutes of inactivity. Getting them to jump through hoops would be difficult. It would need to be seamless from their perspective.

[Sparky]

I wonder how hard it would be to have the email client have an auto-sandbox mode.

Of course, that breaks any and all integration with other systems, and that would cause mass hysteria too.

[StyM]

Two days after WCry worm, Microsoft decries exploit stockpiling by governments