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Why are the good old security advices gone


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Guest Jesper Ravn
Posted

Hello

 

What happend to basic security advices. You nearly don't hear about them

anymore.

Im talking about Limited User Account (LUA) and Software Restriction Policy

(SRP).

Today its all about IE features + big security suites, comodo firewall and

fancy removal tools.

With LUA and SRP all your family desktop/laptops, will newer get infected.

Why has Microsoft and most of the Security MVP's given up on these security

principles.

They are not even listed here:

http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/default.mspx

 

Please also remember that UAC in Vista was not ment to be a security

boundary, from what I have read.

Any comments?.

 

/Jesper

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Guest FromTheRafters
Posted

"Jesper Ravn" <jesper_ravn@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:3780BC19-7E32-4B42-B852-892797A4AF8A@microsoft.com...<span style="color:blue">

> Hello

>

> What happend to basic security advices. You nearly don't hear about

> them anymore.</span>

 

I try to inject basic and/or general security measures into

conversations from time to time. This, of course, runs the risk of

annoying the people coming here for specific help. It is especially so

for those that proclaim proudly that they have UAC disabled and can't

figure out why something doesn't work as expected.

<span style="color:blue">

> Im talking about Limited User Account (LUA) and Software Restriction

> Policy

> (SRP).

> Today its all about IE features + big security suites, comodo

> firewall and

> fancy removal tools.

> With LUA and SRP all your family desktop/laptops, will newer get

> infected.</span>

 

Wrong, these measures are effective against trojans and other malware

that presents itself as a trojan. You can be "infected" by a "virus"

even with those measures in place. Worms also can circumvent any

barriers these measures provide. When it comes to a person making a

decision to run a trojan, LUA limits its scope and SRP has already

failed.

<span style="color:blue">

> Why has Microsoft and most of the Security MVP's given up on these

> security

> principles.</span>

 

I can't speak for them, but it seems to me that they haven't.

<span style="color:blue">

> They are not even listed here:

> http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/default.mspx</span>

 

Probably there implicity, haven't read it yet myself.

They are mentioned elsewhere - Google results are numerous.

<span style="color:blue">

> Please also remember that UAC in Vista was not ment to be a security

> boundary, from what I have read.</span>

 

This is why the user should not run day to day as 'protected admin' but

as a limited user instead.

<span style="color:blue">

> Any comments?.</span>

 

Sure. The fact that the default (protected) admin account actually has

the user running limited, makes people think it is okay to run in this

account for their day to day activities. It should be pointed out that

even in Vista you should create a standard user account for yourself and

everyone else that uses the computer. For the occasional administrative

task you can supply credentials at the consent prompt. If you are going

to do alot of admin stuff - use whatever admin account suits you.

Guest Jesper Ravn
Posted

"FromTheRafters" <erratic@nomail.afraid.org> skrev i meddelelsen

news:Op9GGZyqJHA.3432@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...<span style="color:blue">

>

> "Jesper Ravn" <jesper_ravn@hotmail.com> wrote in message

> news:3780BC19-7E32-4B42-B852-892797A4AF8A@microsoft.com...<span style="color:green">

>> Hello

>>

>> What happend to basic security advices. You nearly don't hear about them

>> anymore.</span>

>

> I try to inject basic and/or general security measures into conversations

> from time to time. This, of course, runs the risk of annoying the people

> coming here for specific help. It is especially so for those that proclaim

> proudly that they have UAC disabled and can't figure out why something

> doesn't work as expected.

><span style="color:green">

>> Im talking about Limited User Account (LUA) and Software Restriction

>> Policy

>> (SRP).

>> Today its all about IE features + big security suites, comodo firewall

>> and

>> fancy removal tools.

>> With LUA and SRP all your family desktop/laptops, will newer get

>> infected.</span>

>

> Wrong, these measures are effective against trojans and other malware that

> presents itself as a trojan. You can be "infected" by a "virus" even with

> those measures in place. Worms also can circumvent any barriers these

> measures provide. When it comes to a person making a decision to run a

> trojan, LUA limits its scope and SRP has already failed.</span>

 

Thanks for you feedback.

Can you provide me with any link/information where malware can bypass LUA +

SRP.

 

/Jesper

Guest Jesper Ravn
Posted

"FromTheRafters" <erratic@nomail.afraid.org> skrev i meddelelsen

news:Op9GGZyqJHA.3432@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...<span style="color:blue">

>

> "Jesper Ravn" <jesper_ravn@hotmail.com> wrote in message

> news:3780BC19-7E32-4B42-B852-892797A4AF8A@microsoft.com...<span style="color:green">

>> Hello

>>

>> What happend to basic security advices. You nearly don't hear about them

>> anymore.</span>

>

> I try to inject basic and/or general security measures into conversations

> from time to time. This, of course, runs the risk of annoying the people

> coming here for specific help. It is especially so for those that proclaim

> proudly that they have UAC disabled and can't figure out why something

> doesn't work as expected.</span>

 

Ok, but please remember that UAC is not a security feature.

The real security (defense layer) is in LUA combined with SRP.

 

/Jesper

Guest FromTheRafters
Posted

"Jesper Ravn" <jesper_ravn@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:2B874183-D8A4-493A-B977-831C157E63AF@microsoft.com...<span style="color:blue">

> "FromTheRafters" <erratic@nomail.afraid.org> skrev i meddelelsen

> news:Op9GGZyqJHA.3432@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...<span style="color:green">

>>

>> "Jesper Ravn" <jesper_ravn@hotmail.com> wrote in message

>> news:3780BC19-7E32-4B42-B852-892797A4AF8A@microsoft.com...<span style="color:darkred">

>>> Hello

>>>

>>> What happend to basic security advices. You nearly don't hear about

>>> them anymore.</span>

>>

>> I try to inject basic and/or general security measures into

>> conversations from time to time. This, of course, runs the risk of

>> annoying the people coming here for specific help. It is especially

>> so for those that proclaim proudly that they have UAC disabled and

>> can't figure out why something doesn't work as expected.

>><span style="color:darkred">

>>> Im talking about Limited User Account (LUA) and Software Restriction

>>> Policy

>>> (SRP).

>>> Today its all about IE features + big security suites, comodo

>>> firewall and

>>> fancy removal tools.

>>> With LUA and SRP all your family desktop/laptops, will newer get

>>> infected.</span>

>>

>> Wrong, these measures are effective against trojans and other malware

>> that presents itself as a trojan. You can be "infected" by a "virus"

>> even with those measures in place. Worms also can circumvent any

>> barriers these measures provide. When it comes to a person making a

>> decision to run a trojan, LUA limits its scope and SRP has already

>> failed.</span>

>

> Thanks for you feedback.

> Can you provide me with any link/information where malware can bypass

> LUA + SRP.</span>

 

No, I can't. But I'm sure an exploit based worm arriving as data

wouldn't be addressed by policy, and with only limited rights can still

propagate and/or activate a payload. Add to that any ability it may have

to escalate through that or another exploit. If one of the payload's

features is to virally infect - then you will have a virus too.

 

If all we had to deal with was simple trojans, things would be

different.

Guest FromTheRafters
Posted

"Jesper Ravn" <jesper_ravn@hotmail.com> wrote in message

news:56E34E5A-831E-4455-9DE7-E322E9A2446D@microsoft.com...<span style="color:blue">

>

>

> "FromTheRafters" <erratic@nomail.afraid.org> skrev i meddelelsen

> news:Op9GGZyqJHA.3432@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...<span style="color:green">

>>

>> "Jesper Ravn" <jesper_ravn@hotmail.com> wrote in message

>> news:3780BC19-7E32-4B42-B852-892797A4AF8A@microsoft.com...<span style="color:darkred">

>>> Hello

>>>

>>> What happend to basic security advices. You nearly don't hear about

>>> them anymore.</span>

>>

>> I try to inject basic and/or general security measures into

>> conversations from time to time. This, of course, runs the risk of

>> annoying the people coming here for specific help. It is especially

>> so for those that proclaim proudly that they have UAC disabled and

>> can't figure out why something doesn't work as expected.</span>

>

> Ok, but please remember that UAC is not a security feature.</span>

 

Right, it is an 'ease of use' feature to encourage users to take

advantage of the real security feature of the use of LUAs and the

principle of "least privilege".

<span style="color:blue">

> The real security (defense layer) is in LUA combined with SRP.</span>

 

Absolutely!

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