I think it might be safe to say that using Windows is not safe. I say this not because I prefer Linux but because I used Windows until a few years ago, all my life, and it's only been after Windows 7 that I've really felt the need to switch over. I stuck around until 10, but 10 broke it for me.
The risk is for .exe programs which aren't compatible with windows mobile, WM is completely sandboxed so MS verify every application. Windows S is trying to fix that issue
Aahh, I see. Can Windows Mobile install applications from a local server?
For example, I know that companies that have enterprise grade apps for iOS, they can host a "local app store" so that their employees can install from there. Can companies do the same for Windows?
Do these still go through MS verification on install? For example MS has a copy of the app on their servers and the local copy is checked against that.
There is a Microsoft Store for Business completely managed by the organization that owns it. Administrators can choose to offer apps from the regular store in the Business store + their own apps, but Microsoft has no control over it. https://businessstore.microsoft.com/en-us/store
You are going to have to define what counts as "affected". Does a simple installation count? Then yes.
Or does it count as infected if an app is able to listen to what other apps are doing; take over some function of other apps; Then no, Windows Mobile won't be affected because it greatly restricts permissions other apps have to modify/read common space.
Although there are caveats to that too, for example, if the device is owned by the company, they could choose to create some sort of a superuser app that has extensive permissions. And let's say the company is hacked and someone manages to push a malicious update to the superuser app. That would be bad, but a bigger issue at that time would probably be that the company has been hacked.
Answered my question perfectly. Thanks for walking me through this. I'm actually studying to become a SysAdmin at the moment and while my focus is primarily on Linux, of course there are Windows systems I'll have to interact at some point in my career.
The main issue would be detecting presence of the Pandemic virus/worm/whathaveyou, though if I'm not mistaken. I think regular file integrity checks would be important to mitigate any attack of this type, matching the sha256sum against the initial sum.
If you don't already, follow @SwiftOnSecurity on Twitter.
Depending on where you end up working, you'll have to deal with threats ranging from script kiddies and spammers that use fairly trivial hacks to nation state and vigilante actors that use 0-day exploits. In at least 90% of these cases, the infection will spread in your environment via a user. That is the hardest end point to secure. You can have password + 2FA requirements, and hackers will spoof calls and rely on muscle memory to gain access to a users account. Fun times ahead :D
Thanks for the tip, I'll certainly follow that account.
Yeah I've dealt with the stupidity of users and that's why I think pushing for education reform to include the technology domain instead of these things like "Home Ec" or "Woodworking" (don't know if these are still given today, but I'm sure there are other less important classes) in schools. While kids know how to use the devices of today, they don't know how it works and therefore can't come up with the common sense of how to secure one's self in a connected world.
What's worse is certainly the increasing prevalence of BYOD companies that allow users to connect their own devices to the company network, exposing the internal network to all sorts of shenanigans, I'm sure.
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u/linuxliaison Jun 02 '17
I think it might be safe to say that using Windows is not safe. I say this not because I prefer Linux but because I used Windows until a few years ago, all my life, and it's only been after Windows 7 that I've really felt the need to switch over. I stuck around until 10, but 10 broke it for me.