Security News
The risk of running obsolete code and hardware was highlighted after attackers exfiltrated data from a UK supplier of high-security fencing for military bases. The initial entry point? A Windows 7 PC. While the supplier, Wolverhampton-based Zaun, said it believed that no classified information was downloaded, reports indicated that attackers were able to obtain data that could be used to gain access to some of the UK's most sensitive military and research sites.
Microsoft has reminded users that TLS 1.0 and 1.1 will soon be disabled by default in Windows. SQL Server 2008 R2 finally dropped out of Extended Security Updates in July, although Microsoft has published instructions for adding TLS 1.2 support.
The highly anticipated Windows 11 23H2 update is around the corner, and Microsoft has released its best features to testers in the Beta Channel. Windows Copilot: The AI Assistant Unified in PC. Taking a step forward in the integration of artificial intelligence, Windows 11 is set to debut Windows Copilot, an AI assistant that unifies Bing Chat and additional plugins.
Microsoft reminded users that insecure Transport Layer Security 1.0 and 1.1 protocols will be disabled soon in future Windows releases. The original TLS 1.0 specification and its TLS 1.1 successor have been used for nearly two decades, with TLS 1.0 initially introduced in 1999 and TLS 1.1 in 2006).
Microsoft announced today that it will deprecate WordPad with a future Windows update as it's no longer under active development, though the company did not specify the precise timing of this change. "We recommend Microsoft Word for rich text documents like.doc and.rtf and Windows Notepad for plain text documents like.txt."
Microsoft has reminded customers that systems running Windows 11 21H2 will be force-updated before the end of servicing next month. Since Windows 11 21H2 devices will no longer receive security updates starting October 10, 2023, they will be updated to Windows 11 22H2 to continue receiving the latest updates, security updates, and improvements.
Microsoft will soon allow users in the European Union, as well as from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, to once again open all links in Windows using their default web browser rather than forcing the use of Microsoft Edge. As the company said when it released Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 23531 to the Dev Channel on Friday, links in Windows systems apps will no longer open using Microsoft Edge, ignoring the users' browser of choice.
New findings show that malicious actors could leverage a sneaky malware detection evasion technique and bypass endpoint security solutions by manipulating the Windows Container Isolation Framework. Microsoft's container architecture uses what's called a dynamically generated image to separate the file system from each container to the host and at the same time avoid duplication of system files.
The FBI announced today the disruption of the Qakbot botnet in an international law enforcement operation that not only seized infrastructure but also uninstalled the malware from infected devices. Before we learn how the FBI uninstalled Qakbot from computers, it is essential to understand how the malware was distributed, what malicious behavior it performed, and who utilized it.
Microsoft is experimenting with different approaches to introduce new users to Windows 11's features as soon as they complete the initial setup, also known as the "Out of Box Experience". This app serves as a personal guide through the new features in Windows 11, showcasing Dev Home for those who've opted for the 'Development Intent'.