NSA Malware Leak Reminds Us to Update Windows
Last week, a group calling itself ShadowBrokers leaked malware that the NSA was using to target Windows computers . It was a stunning data dump that potentially put millions of Windows users at risk. Fortunately, Microsoft claims they have already patched the vulnerabilities.
The Intercept Confirms The Genuineness Of The Malware Released By ShadowBrokers; this is the second release of such software designed to compromise Windows systems and, in some cases, gain control over systems. At first, the cache was thought to contain zero-day exploits, which meant that the vulnerabilities were previously unknown. But Microsoft released a statement saying they analyzed the malware and that most of the vulnerabilities have already been patched – in some cases years ago, most recently in March.
From all this, several conclusions can be drawn. Of course, it’s still surprising to remember the NSA’s capabilities, and it’s surprising that Microsoft patched some of the vulnerabilities in just a few weeks prior to this leak. But for the average person using Windows, the main lesson is that you should keep your software up to date. People complain that Windows is constantly asking for updates, but for good reason. These updates fix vulnerabilities and bugs to protect your system, and the minor inconvenience of having to restart your computer is worth the sixty seconds it takes.
Just install dang updates.
This is why you should not use software that is no longer supported, such as Windows Vista . When Microsoft states that they no longer “support” something, it means that they will no longer release updates for that software. This leaves you in trouble if new security holes are discovered.
So take care, don’t use completely outdated software and let Windows update on its own.