I’m still reading Sandworm and am in the end of the aftermath of the NotPetya event ripping through Maersk shipping and Merck Pharmecuticals. The event itself made for an exciting read… too bad it’s not fiction. But what really got me was how most of their computers were running versions of Windows that were no longer supported! This boggles the hell out of me, and would have even before I’ve taken an interest in cybersecurity.
Perhaps that’s why I’m in the right place, but that’s for another day…
To me, updating your operating system is as important as having a password that’s a bit more complicated than password1. I love my iPhone, but I HATE how much new ones cost, so I hang onto mine as long as possible – which is when iOS is no longer supported on my phone. It’s common sense – not just to me, it really is general common sense! Or it should be, that’s why I’m here.
These operating system updates contain so much more than bells and whistles. They contain security updates, updates that patch vulnerabilities from attacks just like NotPetya (and WannaCry – I’m actually reading this book). My bet is that if a vulnerability has been patched, thousands of bad guys already know about it and are trying to find the poor soul or company (like Maersk and Merck) that failed to install these critical updates.
That’s all I can really comment on this week. Direct learning is on hold for a little while I tend to family stuff, though I’m in the networking rooms of TryHackMe. One last note on my mini-book report, those companies that didn’t want to spend the money to even upgrade their computers, you bet they green light any upgrade request today. Be different, upgrade your software, or buy a new computer/phone if it’s no longer supported by the operating system. Your bank account, personal data, and identity will thank you later.