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Security

Get Rid Of SMB1 In Windows 7

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A reader was confused by all the steps in Microsoft’s How to enable and disable SMBv1, SMBv2, and SMBv3 in Windows and Windows Server.
Should he use PowerShell, Registry Editor, Group Policy? Should he disable it on Client or Server or both?
Because it is a security risk, it is important to ditch SMB1 on all platforms.
You should get rid of both the client and server.
In Windows 7 I do this via PowerShell. It is fast and easy.
You must run PowerShell as Admin.

Press the Windows + R keys > type powershell (press the Enter key)
> copy and paste the following command:
Set-ItemProperty -Path “HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\LanmanServer\Parameters” SMB1 -Type DWORD -Value 0 -Force
> now press the Enter key
> copy and paste the following command: sc.exe config lanmanworkstation depend= bowser/mrxsmb20/nsi
> now press the Enter key
> copy and paste the following command: sc.exe config mrxsmb10 start= disabled
> now press the Enter key > Reboot

———-
Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\Users\Eric> Set-ItemProperty -Path “HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Service
s\LanmanServer\Parameters” SMB1 -Type DWORD -Value 0 -Force
PS C:\Users\Eric> sc.exe config lanmanworkstation depend= bowser/mrxsmb20/nsi
[SC] ChangeServiceConfig SUCCESS
PS C:\Users\Eric> sc.exe config mrxsmb10 start= disabled
[SC] ChangeServiceConfig SUCCESS
PS C:\Users\Eric>
———-

More On Wanna Cry Attacks

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I’d Rather Be Lucky Than Good
Some Geek registered the domain name involved in the attacks and slowed the attacks to a crawl. Despite the articles claim, it did not “put out the fire”. The attack is still alive.

But I’ll repeat myself
At the risk of being crude
There must be fifty ways
To leave your lover…
Get rid of SMB1 dammit!
(Paul Simon – 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover)

***Microsoft – Customer Guidance for WannaCrypt attacks***

XP Patched Too
Hit the link above. Downloads at the bottom of the article.
Below is my XP Pro Virtual Machine.
As you can see I normally have the network connection disabled.
Other steps you can take.
– Disable all Exceptions on the firewall
– Disable the Server service
– Unbind file and printer sharing
There are other steps but XP is supposed to be dead. If you care about security you are only using it in a VM with no internet connection, if at all.

SMB1 Attacks Out There

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A few weeks ago I mentioned how you could remove SMB1 from your computer. There is a serious vulnerability that is now involved in ransom-ware attacks.
1 – Patch all your Windows boxes. ( Microsoft Security Bulletin MS17-010 – Critical )
2 – Get rid of SMB1. Follow the instructions on the following page. ONLY remove SMB1:
How to enable and disable SMBv1, SMBv2, and SMBv3 in Windows and Windows Server

Tuesday Random Stuff…

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Is Kaspersky Software A National Security Risk?
Apparently some in our intelligence community think so.
“In February, the Department of Homeland Security issued a secret report on the matter to other government agencies. And the FBI is investigating the nature of Kaspersky Lab’s relationship to the Russian government“.
For it’s part Kaspersky “has repeatedly insisted it poses no threat to U.S. customers and would never be used as a government tool.”
I know almost nothing about Russian politics. I have never been to Russia. The closest I ever got to Russia was East Berlin a couple of years before the wall came down.
Having said all that, I can’t imagine anyone in Russia telling President Vladimir Putin or his boys “Nyet“.

Google Chrome Updated
“The stable channel has been updated to 58.0.3029.110 for Windows, Mac, and Linux…In order to improve stability, performance, and security, users who are currently on 32-bit version of Chrome, and 64-bit Windows with 4GB or more of memory and auto-update enabled will be automatically migrated to 64-bit Chrome during this update.”
Download: Google Chrome Web 32-bit    Google Chrome 64-bit

O&O ShutUp10 Version 1.5.1390
Version 1.5.1390 – released on May 09, 2017
– Changing languages now available in the Help Menu
– Adjustments to the UI
– Small bug fixes
– Available in German, English, French, Italian and Russian.
Download

Intel SSD Toolbox 3.4.5
See download page for release info.

Firefox 53.0.2
A few days late with this.
Windows 64-bit (en-US)
Windows 32-bit (en-US)
Other systems and languages

Adobe Flash Updated
APSB17-15 Security updates available for Adobe Flash Player
Download Flash

Wise Disk Cleaner 9.47
– Improved Microsoft Edge Cache and Cookies cleaning.
– Improved Microsoft IE Cache and Cookies cleaning.
– Other minor improvements.
Download

Patch Tuesday Morning

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I’m taking off for a few days. I’ll leave you with this stuff…

Win10 Creators Update Official
This will hit Windows Update starting today. Because Win10 Windows Update is a Charlie Foxtrot, you may not be offered this for a while.
Watch the Windows Blog for the official announcment.
Watch Neowin for more download links.
Watch Ask Woody for watches, warnings, and upgrade advice.
Update and/or get official ISO here so you can update on your timetable: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10ISO
I wouldn’t be in a hurry to update. Backup before proceeding!

Time To Run Windows Update
https://portal.msrc.microsoft.com/en-us/security-guidance
Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 update history

Hasta La Vista, Baby!
Windows Vista is dead. Good riddance!

Storage Deals
Amazon Gold Box Deal of the Day: Save up to 35% on select SanDisk memory products
Some great deals on Flash Drives, SSDs, and Memory Cards.

Adobe Acrobat And Flash Updated
Security updates.
Download Flash
Download Reader

Liar, Liar, Pants On Fire
“Last October, Microsoft announced that the third major feature update for Windows 10 would be marketed as the Creators Update. And it created, ahem, a video showing off new features that would arrive in that update.
That video is a lie.”
Fact Check: Microsoft’s Creators Update Introduction Video

Patch Tuesday

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Time To Run Windows Update
Security updates available for all supported versions of Windows, IE, Edge, Flash…
Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for March 2017
see also: Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016 update history
I would highly recommend watching Ask Woody to monitor the situation with these updates. Especially watch his MS-DEFCON board.

Flash
What would Patch Tuesday be without Adobe patching Flash?
APSB17-07 Security updates available for Adobe Flash Player
Download (for Firefox, Opera, Chromium, IE 10 and earlier)

Google Chrome
Chrome 57 was released 5 days ago. It contains the latest Flash version

Patch Tuesday

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For those hardy souls that install updates as they are released, it is time to run that crap-shoot known as Windows Update.
Microsoft Security Bulletin Summary for January 2017
If you really want to stay in the know, head over to AskWoody and Woody at InfoWorld.

Adobe Stuff Updated
APSB17-01 Security Updates Available for Adobe Acrobat and Reader
Download
APSB17-02 Security Updates Available for Adobe Flash Player
Download