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Are attacks like this—ransomware—always aimed at Windows-based systems? Is that the common denominator? I've noticed that most Internet attacks are Windows-bas

Are attacks like this—ransomware—always aimed at Windows-based systems? Is that the common denominator? I've noticed that most Internet attacks are Windows-based but somehow "Microsoft" or "Windows" never makes it into the news copy. I've wondered if MS has a massive marketing/legal outreach to make sure that doesn't happen. And to make it sound like "this can happen anywhere", and "no computer is 100% attack-proof".

adolph 3y ago
Netcraft indicates Linux or unknown previous to the incident for www and bl.uk: https://sitereport.netcraft.com/?url=http://www.bl.uk https://sitereport.netcraft.com/?url=http://www.bl.uk Hosting History Netblock owner IP address OS Web server Last seen Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond WA US 98052 13.107.213.64 Linux unknown 26-Nov-2023 Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond WA US 98052 13.107.246.64 Linux unknown 25-Nov-2023 British Library 194.66.233.215 Linux unknown 20-Jul-2023 British Library 194.66.233.215 Linux nginx 15-May-2019 British Library 194.66.233.215 unknown nginx 5-Jul-2016 British Library 194.66.233.215 Linux nginx 4-Jul-2016 British Library 194.66.233.215 unknown nginx 26-Jun-2016 British Library 194.66.233.215 Linux nginx 21-Jun-2016 British Library 194.66.233.215 unknown nginx 17-Jun-2016 British Library 194.66.233.215 Linux Apache 17-Jan-2016
- Moru 3y ago
  Does not have to be what they are running their servers on.
  - adolph 3y ago
    Very true. This website[0] by a library consultant says the library system was “Aleph 500.” The product documentation[1] says it is an Oracle on RHEL. Other components also indicate Unix flavors. 0. https://librarytechnology.org/library/3413 https://librarytechnology.org/library/3413 1. https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Aleph/Product_Documentation/001_Version_24 https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Aleph/Product_Documentat...
ahi 3y ago
This is bait, but I'll bite. From what I've seen, the common denominator is misconfiguration. We can all do it, but it seems especially concentrated in organizations with limited IT human resources largely dependent upon contracted service providers. Spend a butt load on systems and hope Bill in IT doesn't screw it up. A lot of that ecosystem happens to be Windows based.
gosub100 3y ago
This is a great observation. What if, back in the Ford Explorer Firestone tire explosion scandal, they said "SUVs are being recalled because tires are exploding". Makes the article much less informative.
wongarsu 3y ago
To me the share of Windows as ransomware target seems proportional to Window's use in office computers in large and medium enterprises.
beardedmoose 3y ago
No they aren't always aimed at Windows based systems but it is the most widely used operating system so of course it is targeted and exploited. Every system is vulnerable. The secret is that coders are normal people just like everyone else, they make mistakes. The real problem is that our economy is driven by money so these things don't get fixed because there's no profit in it, only features that make money get added or fixed.

adolph 3y ago

Netcraft indicates Linux or unknown previous to the incident for www and bl.uk: https://sitereport.netcraft.com/?url=http://www.bl.uk https://sitereport.netcraft.com/?url=http://www.bl.uk Hosting History Netblock owner IP address OS Web server Last seen Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond WA US 98052 13.107.213.64 Linux unknown 26-Nov-2023 Microsoft Corporation One Microsoft Way Redmond WA US 98052 13.107.246.64 Linux unknown 25-Nov-2023 British Library 194.66.233.215 Linux unknown 20-Jul-2023 British Library 194.66.233.215 Linux nginx 15-May-2019 British Library 194.66.233.215 unknown nginx 5-Jul-2016 British Library 194.66.233.215 Linux nginx 4-Jul-2016 British Library 194.66.233.215 unknown nginx 26-Jun-2016 British Library 194.66.233.215 Linux nginx 21-Jun-2016 British Library 194.66.233.215 unknown nginx 17-Jun-2016 British Library 194.66.233.215 Linux Apache 17-Jan-2016

Moru 3y ago
Does not have to be what they are running their servers on.
- adolph 3y ago
  Very true. This website[0] by a library consultant says the library system was “Aleph 500.” The product documentation[1] says it is an Oracle on RHEL. Other components also indicate Unix flavors. 0. https://librarytechnology.org/library/3413 https://librarytechnology.org/library/3413 1. https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Aleph/Product_Documentation/001_Version_24 https://knowledge.exlibrisgroup.com/Aleph/Product_Documentat...

ahi 3y ago

This is bait, but I'll bite. From what I've seen, the common denominator is misconfiguration. We can all do it, but it seems especially concentrated in organizations with limited IT human resources largely dependent upon contracted service providers. Spend a butt load on systems and hope Bill in IT doesn't screw it up. A lot of that ecosystem happens to be Windows based.

gosub100 3y ago

This is a great observation. What if, back in the Ford Explorer Firestone tire explosion scandal, they said "SUVs are being recalled because tires are exploding". Makes the article much less informative.

wongarsu 3y ago

To me the share of Windows as ransomware target seems proportional to Window's use in office computers in large and medium enterprises.

beardedmoose 3y ago

No they aren't always aimed at Windows based systems but it is the most widely used operating system so of course it is targeted and exploited. Every system is vulnerable. The secret is that coders are normal people just like everyone else, they make mistakes. The real problem is that our economy is driven by money so these things don't get fixed because there's no profit in it, only features that make money get added or fixed.