Windows Kills
IN 2020 we wrote a lot about the damage Windows had been causing in hospitals (mortal, fatal harm), based on insiders who wished not to be identified but saw clearly that it was Microsoft's fault. The hospital staff was too busy covering up for the culprit rather than identify it in public, holding it fully accountable. It's sad that one must rely on whistleblowers and leakers to merely prove that something Microsoft destroys... was in fact destroyed by Microsoft. This culture of secrecy is infuriating and NDAs in some contexts are absolutely verboten (not that Microsoft cares what's legal and illegal).
Earlier this week we saw some reports like these [1, 2, 3, 4] about a computer-aided emergency dispatch system being out out-of-service for an entire county. Yes, no "911"...!
It turned out they had been using ASP.NET in place of reliable or safe tools, an associate noted. Not necessarily their dispatch service but still circumstantial. The breach or attack (not sure which) started Sunday apparently and the agency is fiddling with ASP.NET. We know that when governments choose Microsoft it results in disasters like these. We have recent examples [1, 2]. Microsoft loves to either blame China or blame Russia.
"Microsoft always shifts the blame and what's left of the trade press covers for them," as someone has put it; this week there's a lot more coverage with some sick Microsoft spin. We're meant to think Russia is at fault for Microsoft's own systems being Swiss cheese. Microsoft cannot even protect itself from breaches.
Earlier this week Sam Varghese said that "Placing sanctions on Russian attacker is just a PR exercise". Varghese spoke about another incident:
In one word, nothing. It is just an exercise in spin. The sanctions mean that Ermakov cannot enter Australia and that he cannot invest in this country. Of course, it gives the government, aided by credulous journalists, a great sheen of authority.
How many people from the dark side of the web are lining up to invest in this country? How many are desperately trying to enter Australia? This is a laughable response from the government, but then it is in keeping with the Labor Government's bid to indulge in showmanship.
Going back to "911" being down, days have passed and we're finding nothing new regarding Bucks County. Whose fault was it? Who was held accountable? Did they put Microsoft everywhere? "Likely also an NDA / gag clause in the support contract," an associate said, "and the contract itself is likely under its own NDA on top of that" (typical Microsoft). "The Tietoevry breach is still ongoing. As are a great many other ransomware and similar incidents."
About 90% if not 95% of the time ransomware means Windows.
In the sister site we habitually post new examples of Microsoft's Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), focusing on security breaches. █