100
votes
Accepted
Replacing Windows 7 security updates with anti-virus?
Nope.
After Microsoft discontinue security updates for a version of Windows there is not a safe way to run that version of Windows.
Some people will promote Virtual Patching where you have a ...
- 2,811
99
votes
Accepted
What's the point of Microsoft Account 2FA if it still lets me log in using password instead?
You didn't actually set up 2FA. You set up your authenticator as an alternative method of single-factor authentication. This is clear from the first screenshot: "... to sign in without a password&...
- 52.1k
43
votes
Accepted
KeePass Vs OneNote
As far as storage is concerned, I think that any correctly encrypted file will have same level of security. The problem is that passwords are meant to be used, and then dedicated password vaults have ...
- 26.9k
38
votes
Replacing Windows 7 security updates with anti-virus?
No, anti-malware is not a replacement for security updates.
Neil Matz summarized the Fortinet's Q2 Global Threat Landscape report for 2017, noticing:
WannaCry and NotPetya targeted a vulnerability ...
- 19.4k
17
votes
KeePass Vs OneNote
A brief look out there says that it uses AES, which is robust and the exploit tools I see look like they are doing dictionary and brute force attacks, rather than attacking something systematically ...
- 6,391
13
votes
Microsoft email servers "require remote control of Android device security features"
Thankfully, you don't surrender remote admin capabilities to Microsoft. However, you do surrender them to the e-mail system's administrator or some other IT admin there.
Generally this is kind of ...
- 2,788
12
votes
Replacing Windows 7 security updates with anti-virus?
There is no realistic substitute for software patches.
There are additional security measures one can take, but all of them have their limitations.
Antiviruses will not do a thing against attacks ...
- 713
11
votes
What's the point of Microsoft Account 2FA if it still lets me log in using password instead?
I can't be sure this is what is happening, but some implementations have the concept of a "trusted device" from where they only ask for 2FA once, then consider (at your request) that the ...
- 3,951
9
votes
KeePass Vs OneNote
Apart from the usability concerns mentioned by @Serge Ballesta in his answer, the following security problems arise:
KeePass has a well documented security. They document the Key Derivation Function ...
- 1,282
8
votes
Microsoft email servers "require remote control of Android device security features"
I have seen several universities doing it this way:
You can access your mailbox either using the Exchange protocol or using IMAP + SMTP.
If you try to use the Exchange protocol with Android devices, ...
- 339
7
votes
This is a working SQL-injection. What could the server side query string look like?
In MySQL, the # symbol can be used as a comment marker. Quote marks in comments don't have to balance.
Not all SQL instances run on Microsoft databases.
- 34.7k
6
votes
Accepted
Windows 7 consent.exe attempting to access the internet
You asked 1) if consent.exe is a legitimate program, 2) if its use of the network is legit (why does it attempts to connect to an external server), and 3) if there is any reason to allow it.
Your ...
- 176
6
votes
Replacing Windows 7 security updates with anti-virus?
Windows 7 was released 10 years ago. Wanting to use win 7 now is the same as wanting to use win xp in 2013 (the year windows 8.1 was released), or wanting to use windows 95 in 2004. There were such ...
- 297
5
votes
Accepted
Should we use Microsoft security or defender for securing our WAN network
I suggest you contact some local security provider and consult with them about securing your network and desktops. You can use Windows Defender to protect computers from malware and Microsoft System ...
- 546
5
votes
Accepted
Windows Privilege Escalation system shell dies quickly
If I'm reading this correctly, you changed a windows service, UPNPHost, to use a different executable than it shipped with, right? If so, the process dies because it doesn't respond correctly to the ...
- 22.6k
5
votes
Is '[email protected]' a legitimate sender of security alerts?
You can not trust that a sender address is correct. They are trivially easy to fake.
The SMTP (email) protocol allows the creator of an email to state any sender address they want. There is no ...
- 49.6k
5
votes
Replacing Windows 7 security updates with anti-virus?
As others have said, it is not recommended to try to use an antivirus as a replacement for system updates. An antivirus is just one component of your system security, which also includes a secure ...
4
votes
Accepted
Restrict Microsoft Network Policy Server (NPS) to only trust client certificates from a given CA?
Are there any options to restrict which user certificate CAs are trusted - similar to other RADIUS providers, or as available for
client-> server trust (but for server -> client trust)?
No, NPS ...
- 191
4
votes
Is there any reason for disabling telnet client on windows?
The Telnet client does not present much of a security threat in itself though it could be leveraged by some malicious process (virus/malware) to do further damage. It is also disabled as very few ...
- 4,172
4
votes
WannaCrypt-style SMB exploits known since Stuxnet, circa 2008, but Microsoft hid fixes from us. So what is new now?
Stuxnet spread by leveraging vulnerabilities MS08-067 and MS10-061, which were patched in 2008 and 2010 respectively.
https://www2.cs.arizona.edu/~collberg/Teaching/466-566/2012/Resources/...
- 538
4
votes
Windows Privilege Escalation system shell dies quickly
I have found on occasion using the reverse shell to execute another nc.exe reverse shell back to your attack box before the service dies keeps the initial service from crashing. Then use the second ...
- 466
4
votes
Windows 7 consent.exe attempting to access the internet
A legitimate reason for consent.exe to connect to the Internet is to figure out whether a certificate was revoked (by updating the certificate revocation list, CRL).
I was however unable to confirm ...
- 3,434
4
votes
What is the point of Microsofts 30 day security update waiting period
The 30-day waiting period helps Microsoft stop unauthorized people from trying to completely take over an account that isn't theirs. For example, an unauthorized person obtaining an account password ...
- 594
4
votes
Who (Designer or User) Should be Resposible for the Correct/Secure Usage of a Tool Intended for Developers/Admins?
Many forms of restricted usability exist to protect developers from negative perceptions resulting from widespread misuse. It's a numbers game. If RunAs was less restricted, related security failures ...
- 81
4
votes
Can I be sure a Word document is safe if it doesn't have macros
Macros is the major risk associated with word documents. But it is not the only one.
It is possible that there is some sort of code execution vulnerability in Word, that allows a malicous word ...
- 65.8k
4
votes
Is this Windows local code execution bug also a security vulnerability?
Interesting bug you found... Apparently the directory parameter passed to PowerShell isn't properly escaped.
Is this a security vulnerability?
IMHO it is one, but not very dangerous per se. If ...
- 181
4
votes
Accepted
Threat and risk analysis of Microsoft Teams
Teams is not special. The same analysis is, and needs to be, made on any software or SaaS that plays a key role in an organisation.
You ask for evidence, but that's not what you need. There is not, ...
- 132k
3
votes
Accepted
WannaCrypt-style SMB exploits known since Stuxnet, circa 2008, but Microsoft hid fixes from us. So what is new now?
Presumably Microsoft developed the patches for Windows XP and 2003 for their paying customers at the same time as the patches for 7+, i.e. in/for March.
They then decided to release them for free, ...
- 2,004
3
votes
Accepted
Is it safe to open word document sent in email in LibreOffice
By design, LibreOffice will not execute macros that are not signed or are signed by an untrusted party without prompting the user and giving a security warning.
I am not aware of any exploits that ...
- 6,391
3
votes
Anniversary Update with Bitlocker Reboot without Encryption Key
I know you've already got an answer elsewhere.
However, just in case someone else stumbles upon your question, I'll try to provide a short explanation:
In Windows 10, the Anniversary Update (1607), ...
- 303
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible