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Looks like Microsoft has found yet another "fan" of some of its older software.
www.yahoo.com
Southwest Airlines is still using Win 3.1 - which is why when CloudStrike went nuts earlier, shutting down most of the airline booking and other related systems, Southwest wasn't affected at all. Their software runs on a 32-year-old version of Windows. Software so old that the CloudStrike anti-virus package doesn't (probably can't) run on it. Of course, if they are using Win 3.1, the question is, what version of DOS is underneath it? Because Win 3.1 is a layered app that you manually launch on top of a DOS command prompt. Last version I recall for MS-DOS was something around 6.2 or thereabouts. I'll bet that doesn't conform to most modern-day security guidelines. Back then, the "Orange Book" was still in effect, but a DOS base system wouldn't even qualify for C2 security levels.
I wonder how long it has been since THEY have had a Windows Update? And I wonder how long it will take hackers to resurrect some of their older code that can attack DOS and the layered version of Windows (vs. the intrinsic version that started with Win NT.)
I have a pilot friend who works for America Airlines. He told me that among the pilot community, Southwest was known for cutting corners, but... 30-year-old operating system software? Holy guacamole!
A Windows version from 1992 is saving Southwest’s butt right now
Southwest hasn't been impacted by the CrowdStrike outage, and that's reportedly because it's still running Windows 3.1.
Southwest Airlines is still using Win 3.1 - which is why when CloudStrike went nuts earlier, shutting down most of the airline booking and other related systems, Southwest wasn't affected at all. Their software runs on a 32-year-old version of Windows. Software so old that the CloudStrike anti-virus package doesn't (probably can't) run on it. Of course, if they are using Win 3.1, the question is, what version of DOS is underneath it? Because Win 3.1 is a layered app that you manually launch on top of a DOS command prompt. Last version I recall for MS-DOS was something around 6.2 or thereabouts. I'll bet that doesn't conform to most modern-day security guidelines. Back then, the "Orange Book" was still in effect, but a DOS base system wouldn't even qualify for C2 security levels.
I wonder how long it has been since THEY have had a Windows Update? And I wonder how long it will take hackers to resurrect some of their older code that can attack DOS and the layered version of Windows (vs. the intrinsic version that started with Win NT.)
I have a pilot friend who works for America Airlines. He told me that among the pilot community, Southwest was known for cutting corners, but... 30-year-old operating system software? Holy guacamole!