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Re: [LUG] OT: best way to clean an infested XP setup

 

> On 22 Dec 2014, at 18:03, bad apple <mr.meowski@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> On 22/12/14 13:15, Paul Sutton wrote:
> 
>> There are plenty of resources out there that can help new users of GNU
>> / Linux based systems,  most modern distros like mint are pretty
>> straight forward anyway.  Mint also has excellent documentation.
>> 
>> They could join the mailing list and ask for help there,  which is (as
>> far as I am aware) partly why we exist in the first place.
>> 
>> If they are near to Holsworthy perhaps they can come to meetings and
>> ask for help
>> 
>> If they NEED windows for a specific purpose then install in a VM,
>> even if this is their XP version in a VM,  if it is isolated from the
>> net,  and can run that program then there probably isn't really an issue.
>> 
>> Is there even a specific windows only program they NEED to run.
> 
> 
> This gentleman is completely correct, except for the XP bit. The only
> people who should have even an isolated virtualised XP instance are
> people like me who do regression testing, reverse engineering and other
> legitimate but otherwise nefarious things like pentests as part of our
> jobs. Otherwise discipline will lapse, the VM will end up getting
> connected to the internet and it will be pwned instantaneously and
> immediately become part of the problem. Inherently vulnerable attack
> platforms and out of support operating systems just can NOT ever be left
> in the hands of incompetents, i.e., non IT specialists. Just don't do it.
> 
> If they absolutely must have a Windows VM for some reason, they either
> need CompSci degrees or it has to be an actively supported, security
> patched version.
> 
> There are no exceptions to this rule and if any of you are still
> supporting normal users running XP machines you should be ashamed of
> yourselves.
> 

+1 

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