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Microsoft will make the most from WannaCry

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Re: Microsoft will make the most from WannaCry

#11

Post by hannob »

dtnewman wrote: post #9

TLDR: Microsoft is using WannaCry as an opportunity to complain about the NSA and as an opportunity to tell people they need to update their software. I personally think that it's great to get the message across that people need to keep their operating systems up-to-date. I see too many non-technical people thinking in dangerous ways: * "I don't want to update software, because the new software could have bugs which…

> * "I've got anti-virus software installed on my computer and we've got a firewall on our network".

Which is in large parts due to irresponsible marketing given to these people by AV companies.

Re: Microsoft will make the most from WannaCry

#13

Post by Beltiras »

Kiro wrote: post #3
hrnnnnnn wrote: post #2

Paywalled. Workaround it by pasting the URL into Google and clicking the link there.

You can click "web" as well.

This bookmarklet works as well:

  javascript:window.location.href='https://m.facebook.com/l.php?u='+encodeURIComponent(window.location.href);

Re: Microsoft will make the most from WannaCry

#14

Post by mtgx »

Not a big fan of Microsoft in general, and I generally distrust anything it does, but I'm beginning to like this Brad Smith fellow. He's been pushing for quite a few privacy initiatives inside Microsoft, and he's now also taking on NSA and calling for a Digital Geneva Convention.

I also think Microsoft "got lucky" this time. Shadow Brokers sit on EternalBlue for at least 6 months. They could've released it before the NSA even alerted Microsoft that such a bug exists in its operating system (probably earlier this year). That would've hurt Microsoft's image a lot more.

So I think this should also be a warning to Microsoft (and other software companies). If there is some other backdoor in Windows or bug on which Microsoft may decide to sit on to give the NSA a few extra months to exploit it, its image could be hurt a lot. Some other group may discover it and and then turn it into another global ransomware attack, before Microsoft even has a chance to patch it.

So lesson of the day: don't do back room (or door) deals with the NSA, whether because of fear, for money, "patriotism," or some other reason, because it could come back and hurt you 10 times more when you're put in the spotlight as the main party responsible for a global attack.

Re: Microsoft will make the most from WannaCry

#15

Post by ambulancechaser »

mstade wrote: post #10
dtnewman wrote: post #9

TLDR: Microsoft is using WannaCry as an opportunity to complain about the NSA and as an opportunity to tell people they need to update their software. I personally think that it's great to get the message across that people need to keep their operating systems up-to-date. I see too many non-technical people thinking in dangerous ways: * "I don't want to update software, because the new software could have bugs which…

I wonder how much of the never-upgrade mentality is down to Microsoft insisting on being backwards compatible back till basically the Jurassic period, and providing support for obsolete software for years and years. Their intention is commendable, but there's something to be said for sometimes breaking things for what is hopefully the greater good. The rust package manager issue that was on HN the other week comes to…

I'm not sure that your point makes sense. If Microsoft insists on backwards compatibility, then you _can_ upgrade with "no worries". This policy seems to encourage people to upgrade as the new OS will honor the old mechanisms.

In an OS where there was no commitment to backwards compatibility you would have an incentive to not change anything when it works.

> My point is: why rush to upgrade when you've got "support" anyway?

This is a different point. But you seem to be criticizing the decision by Microsoft to focus on backwards compatibility and support for old operating systems, two things that seem to be commendable.

Re: Microsoft will make the most from WannaCry

#16

Post by kakarot »

mstade wrote: post #10
dtnewman wrote: post #9

TLDR: Microsoft is using WannaCry as an opportunity to complain about the NSA and as an opportunity to tell people they need to update their software. I personally think that it's great to get the message across that people need to keep their operating systems up-to-date. I see too many non-technical people thinking in dangerous ways: * "I don't want to update software, because the new software could have bugs which…

I wonder how much of the never-upgrade mentality is down to Microsoft insisting on being backwards compatible back till basically the Jurassic period, and providing support for obsolete software for years and years. Their intention is commendable, but there's something to be said for sometimes breaking things for what is hopefully the greater good. The rust package manager issue that was on HN the other week comes to…

No people fear updates from M$ because M$ has a bad history of bricking devices and pushing hidden privacy-harming updates without consorting their users.

Or maybe it's the fact that Windows has to restart after every single software update.

Really it's astounding that Microsoft provides this kind of awful updating experience and then inseminates propoganda into people's minds that those who don't auto update their W10 boxes are stupid and endangering themselves.

If you use Windows 10 in general, you are stupid and endangering yourself.

Re: Microsoft will make the most from WannaCry

#17

Post by pjmlp »

mstade wrote: post #10
dtnewman wrote: post #9

TLDR: Microsoft is using WannaCry as an opportunity to complain about the NSA and as an opportunity to tell people they need to update their software. I personally think that it's great to get the message across that people need to keep their operating systems up-to-date. I see too many non-technical people thinking in dangerous ways: * "I don't want to update software, because the new software could have bugs which…

I wonder how much of the never-upgrade mentality is down to Microsoft insisting on being backwards compatible back till basically the Jurassic period, and providing support for obsolete software for years and years. Their intention is commendable, but there's something to be said for sometimes breaking things for what is hopefully the greater good. The rust package manager issue that was on HN the other week comes to…

PC are now a commodity in most countries (sadly not in all), so unless there is a very compelling reason to upgrade, no one among non technical users will do it, even less when the new OS isn't compatible with their existing software.

Re: Microsoft will make the most from WannaCry

#18

Post by pjmlp »

LyndsySimon wrote: post #7
jaimex2 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

why bother? Just click back and move on to other news.

Yep. I no longer visit news sites with paywalls, no matter how easily circumvented.

I hope you also don't complain about lack of quality of free content.

Re: Microsoft will make the most from WannaCry

#20

Post by mstade »

ambulancechaser wrote: post #15
mstade wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder how much of the never-upgrade mentality is down to Microsoft insisting on being backwards compatible back till basically the Jurassic period, and providing support for obsolete software for years and years. Their intention is commendable, but there's something to be said for sometimes breaking things for what is hopefully the greater good. The rust package manager issue that was on HN the other week comes to…

I'm not sure that your point makes sense. If Microsoft insists on backwards compatibility, then you _can_ upgrade with "no worries". This policy seems to encourage people to upgrade as the new OS will honor the old mechanisms. In an OS where there was no commitment to backwards compatibility you would have an incentive to not change anything when it works. > My point is: why rush to upgrade when you've got "support"…

No, my apologies, I'm not being very clear then. I don't mean to criticise Microsoft here, in fact I think their commitment to backwards compatibility is commendable and I think history proves they've at least tried to get people on the automatic updates track. Execution hasn't been flawless, for sure, but we're in better place now than we were 15-20 years ago.

And I'm also not trying to draw any conclusions with my post. I'm genuinely wondering whether the fact that Microsoft has been so committed to backwards compatibility has fostered a kind of mentality where people and indeed developers don't upgrade, simply because they know they won't be abandoned anyway. It's always easier not to change anything, and if the message is typically "you'll be fine" anyway then where's the incentive? The "you'll be safer, probably" message doesn't seem to me like it's working.

You're probably right that I'm not making much sense, I'm finding it a bit hard to put my thoughts into words here.

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