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Windows XP Source Code Leak Could Lead to Disaster

By News

Windows XP Source Code Leak Could Lead to Disaster

Source code for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 has leaked publicly for the first time. The gate for cybercriminals is wide open.

Why the Windows XP Source Code Leak is Critical

A security insider has announced that the entire code for Microsoft operating systems MS DOS 6.0, Windows 2000, Windows CE 3, Windows CE 4, Windows CE 5, Windows Embedded 7, Windows Embedded CE, Windows NT 3.5, Windows NT 4, Windows XP and Server 2003 have been leaked on the dark web. So far, Microsoft has failed to dismiss that this is the real source code.

Every operating systems designed since MS-DOS has been based, even in part, on the previous operating system.

If a hacker were to review the old code, they could find ways to exploit any supported Windows version. This includes Windows 10, which could lead to weaponized exploits. These are the worst types of attacks as it requires the vendor to release a patch in the form of a zero-day vulnerability.

What to Do About the Source Code Leak

It is highly recommended by both Syxsense and other security advisories, such as US Homeland Security and the UK National Cyber Security Centre, to ensure all software is up to date, including operating systems. Any obsolete software that is no longer supported by the vendor should be upgraded or uninstalled.

Syxsense Secure offers a sophisticated vulnerability scanner which can detect obsolete software that needs to be upgraded within your environment. Syxsense even provides the links to the latest software to help clients fast-track every step of the process.

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PCR MSP article|Ashley Leonard of Verismic

Race for free Windows 10 will create MSP windfall

By Managed Service Providers, News
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Following the news that the new Windows 10 update will be free for a year, Ashley Leonard, president and CEO of Verismic, shares how he thinks this will affect managed service providers.

The latest figures from Netmarketshare suggest usage of the XP platform is dropping. Market share was 18.93 per cent in January 2015, down from 26.29 per cent in April 14.

OS upgrades to Windows 7 will be common in 2015 as customers come to realise support for XP has been stripped away, leaving them adrift.

Windows 8/8.1 has not been popular with all users, which could also prompt those XP and 7 users to actually jump to Windows 10. For a limited time only, one year, Microsoft has also said 10 will be a free upgrade, which makes this upgrade jump even more likely.

In any scenario, a flow of OS upgrades stretches IT resources not just through OS rollout, but through testing, fixing, repackaging and preparing existing applications for the new environment. It really is no small feat deploying applications.

Read More on PCR…

About the author Ashley Leonard, President and CEO of Verismic.