For future reference…
If WSUS starts responding with the message: “Cannot save configuration because the server is still processing a previous configuration change”, run this SQL command:
UPDATE tbSingletonData SET ResetStateMachineNeeded = 0
And in the long term, consider this:
…using properly synthesized DNA code as the medium…
A noteworthy paper by researchers from the University of Washington:
The rapid improvement in DNA sequencing has sparked a big data revolution in genomic sciences, which has in turn led to a proliferation of bioinformatics tools. To date, these tools have encountered little adversarial pressure. This paper evaluates the robustness of such tools if (or when) adversarial attacks manifest. We demonstrate, for the first time, the synthesis of DNA which ? when sequenced and processed? gives an attacker arbitrary remote code execution. To study the feasibility of creating and synthesizing a DNA-based exploit, we performed our attack on a modified downstream sequencing utility with a deliberately introduced vulnerability. After sequencing, we observed information leakage in our data due to sample bleeding. While this phenomena is known to the sequencing community, we provide the first discussion of how this leakage channel could be used adversarially to inject data or reveal sensitive information. We then evaluate the general security hygiene of common DNA processing programs, and unfortunately, find concrete evidence of poor security practices used throughout the field. Informed by our experiments and results, we develop a broad framework and guidelines to safeguard security and privacy in DNA synthesis, sequencing, and processing.
I thought I would never write about Windows XP again… and yet… I came across a network where there are still quite a few of them and, surprisingly, they are holding up (perhaps thanks to a dozen or so people who keep them under control).
For those who have not read it, I recommend:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/WindowsForBusiness/end-of-xp-support
It is clear that not everyone can run to the store and buy several dozen licenses immediately, so what can be done to survive somehow?