McAfee suggests about 2.5 million IoT devices were infected in Q4 of 2016

Image: Linino

Two and a half million Internet of Things (IoT) devices were infected by Mirai botnet by the end of fourth quarter last year, a new report by cyber security company McAfee said on Tuesday.

Mirai is a malware that turns networked devices running on obsolete versions of Linux into remotely controlled “bots” which can be used for a large-scale network attacks.

The ‘McAfee Labs Threats Report April 2017’ estimated that five IoT device IP addresses were infected by Mirai botnet each minute.

“The security industry faces critical challenges in our efforts to share threat intelligence between entities, among vendor solutions, and even within vendor portfolios,” said Vincent Weafer, Vice President McAfee Labs, in a statement.

Overall count of new malware samples grew 24 per cent in 2016 to 638 million samples despite showing a drop of 17 per cent in fourth quarter.

McAfee also detected 176 new cyber-threats every minute, almost three every second in fourth quarter of 2016. Further, the total mobile malware grew 99 per cent in 2016.

“The number of total ransomware samples grew 88 per cent in 2016, despite 71 per cent drop in fourth quarter,” the company said.

The findings further showed that the number of new Mac OS malware samples grew 245 per cent in fourth quarter due to adware bundling, though still small compared to Windows threats. Also, overall Mac OS malware grew 744 per cent in 2016.

IANS

Publish date: April 11, 2017 4:30 pm| Modified date: April 11, 2017 4:30 pm

Shadow Brokers reveals list of Servers Hacked by the NSA

 Monday, October 31, 2016  Swati Khandelwal

The hacker group calling itself the Shadow Brokers, who previously claimed to have 

leaked a portion of the NSA’s hacking tools and exploits, is back with a Bang!

The Shadow Brokers published more files today, and this time the group dumped a list of foreign servers allegedly compromised by the NSA-linked hacking unit, Equation Group, in various countries to expand its espionage operations.

Top 3 Targeted Countries — China, Japan, and Korea

The data dump [Download / File Password: payus] that experts believe contains 306 domain names, and 352 IP addresses belong to at least 49 countries. As many as 32 domains of the total were run by educational institutes in China and Taiwan.

A few target domains were based in Russia, and at least nine domains include .gov websites.

The top 10 targeted countries include China, Japan, Korea, Spain, Germany, India, Taiwan, Mexico, Italy, and Russia.

The latest dump has been signed by the same key as the first Shadow Brokers’ dump of NSA exploits, though there is a lot to be done to validate the contents of the leaked data dump fully.

Targeted Systems — Solaris, Unix, Linux and FreeBSD

Most of the affected servers were running Solaris, Oracle-owned Unix-based operating system, while some were running FreeBSD or Linux.

Each compromised servers were reportedly targets of INTONATION and PITCHIMPAIR, code-names given for cyber-spy hacking programs.

The data dump also contains references to a list of previously undisclosed Equation Group tools, including Dewdrop, Incision, Orangutan, Jackladder, Reticulum, Patchicillin, Sidetrack and Stoicsurgeon.

The tools as mentioned above could be hacking implants, tools or exploits used by the NSA's notorious group.

Security researcher Mustafa Al-Bassam, an ex-member of Lulzsec and the Anonymous hacking collective, said the NSA likely compromised all the servers between 2000 and 2010.

"So even the NSA hacks machines from compromised servers in China and Russia. This is why attribution is hard," Al-Bassam added. 

Are Hackers trying to influence U.S. Presidential elections?

A message accompanying the leaked data dump calls for attempts to disrupt the forthcoming United States presidential election. The portion of message from the Shadow Brokers reads:

"TheShadowBrokers is having suggestion. On November 8th, instead of not voting, maybe be stopping the vote all together? Maybe being grinch who stopped the election from coming? Maybe hacking election is being the best idea? #hackelection2016."

Targeted victims can use the leaked files in an effort to determine if they were the potential target of the NSA-linked hacking unit.

Since the records are old, many servers should now be clean of infection. However, a brief Shodan scan of these domains indicates that some of the affected servers are still active and still running old, possibly-vulnerable systems.

The latest release comes after the FBI arrested Harold Thomas Martin, an NSA contractor, who was reportedly a prime suspect in The Shadow Brokers case.

An 11-year old bug is threatening the whole Linux ecosystem. Update now!

By tech2 News Staff /  24 Oct 2016 , 16:39

An ancient Linux vulnerability has suddenly reared its head again. First spotted around 11 years ago, the vulnerability can be used to escalate a user’s privileges.

If you’re familiar with Android, this vulnerability can give any user ‘root’ access to a Linux-based system, including web servers. Linus Torvalds, the creator of Linux, tried to patch the bug out many years ago, but his fixes were apparently patched out in subsequent updates.

Dubbed Dirty COW (Copy On Write), the bug is classified as a “race condition” vulnerability. Since the bug is present in the Linux kernel, it’s present in almost every version of Linux that’s out there, meaning that your current Linux installation is very likely to be vulnerable.

Phil Oester is a Linux security researcher who stumbled onto the attack when analysing a server that was hacked. The Dirtycow.ninja advisory explains that antivirus programs using certain techniques can detect the attack, but given the attack’s complexity, this isn’t easy.

In an email to ArsTechnica, Oester wrote, “Any user can become root in < 5 seconds in my testing, very reliably. Scary stuff.”

As Torvalds explains, the bug was “purely theoretical” and could not be easily triggered. However, recent advancements in VM (Virtual Machine) technologies have apparently gone a long way in enabling this attack today.

It’s clear now that the vulnerability poses a serious threat to a Linux environment and everything that’s based on the Linux is vulnerable (that’s most of the internet today).

The guys who officially maintain the Linux code have issued patches that address the issue, so please update your systems soon.

Metasploit eyeing Linux and usability improvements; iOS support uncertain

Image: iStock/weerapatkiatdumrong


Metasploit owner Rapid7 is working on making its penetration testing software easier to use, more welcoming for Linux-based techniques, and a better partner to network security controls.

By Evan Koblentz | October 14, 2016, 10:50 PM PST


Engineers at Rapid7, which owns the popular Metasploit penetration testing tool, are preparing a variety of enhancements for the ramp-up to version 5.0 in 2017.

Metasploit evolved in 2003, Rapid7 acquired it from the original developers in 2009, and fourth-generation software debuted in 2011. Metasploit Pro is currently in version 4.2 and costs several thousand dollars for a license; Metasploit Framework currently in version 4.12.33 is open source, officials explained.


Leo Varela, director of engineering, said his team is developing capabilities such as a single-pane interface, ways to convert Android vulnerabilities into corporate network access, a new focus on automated testing of network security controls, and a code base that's slimmer and faster.


Metasploit is traditionally Windows-centric. However, for Apple iOS testing, Boston-based Rapid7 is in the same boat as everyone else in the security and forensics fields—it's very difficult to do. Varela said he's open to adding iOS modules if the community of open-source Metasploit Framework users can help. Apple's mobile operating system is a custom version based on a derivative of Unix, and in recent and upcoming changes, "We are adding the capabilities to be able to interact with Linux and with Unix," Varela noted.

"It's up to the open-source developers to add content to it. We believe these [other] investments are much more valuable to the penetration testing community at large while we allow the open-source community to come up with iOS modules," Varela added.

Joshua Marpet, of security and forensic consulting firm GuardedRisk, said Rapid7's ease-of-use plans sound helpful for lower-level employees, but security professionals are happy using the command line and would rather see Rapid7 put its resources into new modules.

Marpet gave an example of the recent distributed denial-of-service against prominent security blogger Brian Krebs. By going through network-connected street cameras, the attackers made whole new approaches, he said. That differs from the antivirus world where new viruses are typically just different payloads wrapped in existing techniques, he observed. Rapid7 needs to keep up with this, he urged.


Marpet, in Wilmington, Del., said another tool he likes is Strategic Cyber'sCobalt Strike because of its automation features. Washington D.C.-based developer Raphael Mudge made Cobalt Strike atop Metasploit Framework but later changed its foundation to a different system. Mudge, asked about his product's roadmap, said he has new releases every few months but declined to comment because of frequently changing priorities.

Spotify users exposed to malware attack

By Shawn Knight on October 6, 2016, 11:30 AM

Some users of Spotify’s free, ad-supported service got a bit more than they bargained for this week (and not in a good way).

Reports surfaced as early as Tuesday that Spotify’s free tier was serving up malicious content through its advertisements. According to one user’s account, if Spotify was open, it would continuously open the default web browser and load various malware / virus-ridden sites – some of which didn’t even require any user interaction to cause harm.

Worse yet, the issue apparently wasn’t limited to Windows as reports flowed in of similar behavior on both Linux and MacOS installations.

Shortly after the outbreak, Spotify said in response to one of the community posts that they had identified an issue where a small number of users were experiencing a problem with questionable website pop-ups in their default browsers as a result of an isolated issue with an ad on their free tier. The source of the problem was identified and has been shut down, the Spotify rep said.

While it’s not uncommon for malware to sneak into the advertising campaign of a major company, it is a bit embarrassing for Spotify as this isn’t the first time the company has dealt with such an issue. In 2011, Spotify issued a public apology after its Windows desktop app was found to be installing bogus “Windows Recovery” software which, again, was a result of malvertising.

How to use BestCrypt to encrypt files and folders

By Jack Wallen | October 5, 2016, 9:59 AM PST

Jack Wallen walks you through the steps of creating and moving a container to illustrate how amazingly easy BestCrypt Container Encryption is.

The needs for secure document/data storage are at an all-time high. This means more and more people are turning to encryption. To many, however, the idea of using some cumbersome, complex command line tool is beyond their scope of abilities. That's why having well thought out GUI tools for the task of encryption is important.

Recently, the BestCrypt Container Encryptiontool crossed my desk and immediately looked like just the tool for the job. BestCrypt is a cross-platform (Linux, Mac, Windows) that includes features like:
Store and Access Encrypted Files
Create and Manage Multiple encrypted Containers
Mount Encrypted Drive(s) as a Subfolder
Define permissions in a Multi-user Environment
Dynamic Containers
Move Containers across platforms

Although BestCrypt isn't open source, it works splendidly on Linux. What's most impressive about BestCrypt is that all of these features are rolled into a very easy to use GUI, that any level of user could immediately get up to speed on.

Let's install BestCrypt and use it to encrypt our first Container.
Installation

Before continuing on, know that BestCrypt is not a free software. You can use

How to add users to shares with the TurnKey Linux FileServer appliance

By Jack Wallen  | October 3, 2016, 1:32 PM PST

For a quick, easy, and free file-sharing appliance, look no further than TurnKey Linux. Learn how to set up users and add them to shares.

TurnKey Linux offers handy virtual appliances, ranging from a basic LAMP stack to an LDAP appliance and much more. If you need to spin up a file-sharing appliance in a hurry, the TurnKey Linux file server cannot be beat. By employing basic, off-the-shelf hardware or a virtual machine, you can get a solid SMB, SFTP, NFS, WebDAV, and rsync file server running in no time.

Getting a TurnKey Linux appliance up and running is simple. Follow these steps.

1. Download the ISO.
2. Fire up your virtual machine tool (I preferVirtualBox).
3. Create a new virtual machine.
4. Attach the ISO to

How to install Windows 10 in a VM on a Linux machine

Image: iStockphoto/Pannawat



Learn how to install Windows 10 on your Linux machine using the bundled license key on preassembled systems, and get tips on how to reduce the amount of system resources Windows uses.

By James Sanders | July 11, 2016, 6:20 AM PST


For Linux users, making a clean break from the Microsoft ecosystem is often a rather challenging task. Even in 2016, the possibility of needing Windows to perform some task still exists—perhaps as part of an employer requirement, a dependency on legacy technology such as

How to install and run Dropbox from a headless Linux server

Image: Jack Wallen

If you have a headless Linux server that needs access to files from a Dropbox account, here's what to do.

By Jack Wallen | September 30, 2016, 10:35 PM PST

There may come a time when you need to sync a Dropbox account to a Linux server running without a GUI. When that time comes, you'll be glad that it's pretty easy to do with the help of a few scripts.

I'll walk you through the process of getting Dropbox up and running on

How to Emulate a Commodore Amiga on Your PC

Retro games remain surprisingly popular, with websites and even magazines dedicated to their continued appreciation. One perennially popular system is the Commodore Amiga, a desktop computer with surprising graphics ability and a desktop environment.

A passionate user base persists to this day, and the Amiga OS exists as a Linux-esque alternative to Windows (and can be run on the Raspberry Pi).5 Retro Operating Systems You Can Revisit with Ease on Linux 5 Retro Operating Systems You Can Revisit with Ease on LinuxYou probably already know you can play old games on your Linux device, thanks to emulator collections like MAME, but did you know that various emulators are available for running full applications? Here's how.READ MORE

Image Credit: Blake Patterson via Flickr

However, whether you’re running an emulator on your Windows, Mac, or Linux desktop (or even mobile device), continued use of the Amiga platform depends upon you loading up an emulator. From here, a disk image should be loaded at the Kickstart prompt.

Fortunately, various emulator solutions are readily available.

Emulating the Amiga on Windows, Linux, and Mac

You’ll find an emulator suitable for playing Amiga game ROMs (and app ROMs, too) on almost all currently-popular platforms. We’re going to show you two in particular, one for Windows, and another for Android.

Once you’re running an emulator, you’ll need some games to play. As with any copyrighted material, you’ll need to own a copy of a game to be able to legally play it. If you need some ideas, our list of the top 10 Amiga games should help, and these can be found in the usual ROM repositories. Once downloaded, they’re easily installed on your Amiga emulator.10 Amiga Games You Should Play With an Emulator 10 Amiga Games You Should Play With an EmulatorThe Commodore Amiga is one of the most important consoles of the 16-bit era. Want to know what games you should play on an Amiga emulator? Here are 10 you should try!READ MORE

Choose Your Emulator

Your best choice for an Amiga emulator can be found at fs-uae.net/download, home of the FS-UAE Amiga emulator. While the emulator is available for Windows, Mac, and various Linux distros (evenSteamOS!), we’re looking at the Windows version.

After downloading and installing the emulator, run FS-UAE Launcher. The launcher is arranged into eight tabs, which you use to configure your Amiga emulation. On the first tab, select the appropriate Amiga model for the game you wish to play. You can choose from the original Amiga 1000 all the way through to the CD32 and CDTV. Note that you can also quickly load up a game ROM here, as well as configure a controller.

You’ll also need to choose a Kickstart ROM. Kickstart was the bootstrapping firmware that prepared the Amiga for running software from an inserted diskette. Various versions of Kickstart were issued.

With FS-UAE, you can use the default replacement Kickstart ROM, which was originally developed for the AROS project. But if you have Kickstart ROMs on disk, you can import these. You’ll find the controls for selecting a Kickstart ROM across the bottom of the emulator window. Find out more about Kickstart ROMs at www.amigaroms.net.

Loading a Game ROM

Loading up a game (or app) can be done from the first screen, where there are slots for two floppy disk ROMs. If you have a CD-ROM based ROM, you’ll be able to load this up from the CD-ROM Drives tab. Similarly, there is also a Hard Drives tab, which you can use to configure a directory on your PC to he used as a HDD. Finally, if the title is across several disk images, you can use the Floppy Drives tab to load up the disks.

With your ROM in place, it’s time to click Start. The FS-UAE emulator will play rattling disk-reading sound FX, presumably recorded from a genuine Amiga, and the game will launch.

Load issues can be resolved by tweaking the configuration; perhaps adding memory, or using a genuine Kickstart ROM. The Additional configuration screen (the right-most tab) should help you out here.

As an example, in order to run the ScummVM title The Secret of Monkey Island with FS-UAE, I had to:SCUMMVM - A Point-And-Click Adventure Game Emulator SCUMMVM - A Point-And-Click Adventure Game EmulatorREAD MORE

1. Increase the available RAM to the emulated Amiga from the default 512 KB to 1.5 MB.
2. Use the Kickstart 1.3 ROM.

If you’re having problems, find an image of the original box online (use Google images) to check the system requirements. While most games will run on Kickstart 1.3 with 1 MB of RAM, this isn’t always the case.

How to Emulate an Amiga on Android

Even simpler to set up is the emulation of an Amiga computer on your Android smartphone or tablet (or even TV box). You’ll be able to do this by installing the UAE4ALL 2 app. This video explains in more depth:Android TV Boxes: What Are They, And What Can They Do? Android TV Boxes: What Are They, And What Can They Do?Companies like Apple, Roku and Western Digital have already capitalized on this with their set-top boxes, but now a new wave of Android options has hit the market. Typically available for between $60 and $100,...READ MORE

Once you’re up and running, you’re ready to start enjoying Amiga games on your Android device!

Using iPhone?

As iOS users will know, emulation on the platform is limited, and as a result there are few emulators available. However, a search of the App Store will reveal some repackaged Amiga titles. For instance,Tales of Monkey Island, sequel to The Secret of Monkey Island, is available for iPad.Tales Of Monkey Island Comes To iPad, First Episode Is Free! [News] Tales Of Monkey Island Comes To iPad, First Episode Is Free! [News]Looking for a great free adventure game on your iPad? You’re in luck, because Telltale Games’ first installment, Launch of the Screaming Narwhal, is available for free on the iPad until July 22. This first...READ MORE

The Amiga: Emulated

With an emulated Commodore Amiga running on your PC or mobile device, you immediately have access to a library of over 5000 titles, many of which set the groundwork for the way games are played 30 years later.

Warning You Can't Install Linux On Microsoft Signature Edition PCs from Lenovo

In past few months, Microsoft opened the source code of a lot of its projects, convincing people that the company loves Linux.

But a new report shows that Microsoft is not really a big supporter of Linux.

Microsoft has banned Linux on some Windows 10 powered Signature Edition PCs, which provides the cleanest Windows experience on the market.

Signature Edition PCs are different from other systems because it is carefully and meticulously configured by Microsoft to run Windows 10 with no bloatware, paid promotional web shortcuts, or other pre-installed apps, for providing better performance.

But besides bloatware and other pre-installed apps, Microsoft won't allow you to install Linux (or any operating system) on it.

This news is not a rumor as a Reddit user BaronHK reported that he found it impossible to install Linux on the Signature Edition Lenovo Yoga 900 ISK2 UltraBook because Microsoft has locked the SSD in a proprietary RAID mode that can only be read by Windows.

When contacted Lenovo, the company confirmed that it had signed an agreement with Microsoft to make this happen.

"This system has a Signature Edition of Windows 10 Home installed. It is locked per our agreement with Microsoft," a Lenovo employee responded to a comment made by BaronHK about the issue.

Lenovo laptops that are not allowing its users to install Linux include the aforementioned Yoga 900 ISK2, the Yoga 900S, as well as the Yoga 710S.

Some have suggested that the issue that prevents Linux from being installed could be Microsoft decision, while others believe that the issue could be related to how the systems have been configured by Lenovo.

For now, all which is clear is that, if you own a Lenovo Signature Edition laptop, you can not install Linux on it.

Microsoft and Lenovo still have to officially comment on this possible restriction configured for Signature Edition PCs.

6 Things That Ubuntu Does Better Than Windows

We all love Windows, right? It’s a great operating system, there’s no doubt about that. However, what if I told you that Ubuntu was better? You may laugh and think that nothing could possibly be better than your beloved Windows, but in this article we’re going to look at 6 reasons why Ubuntu is better than Windows.

Some of you may think that Ubuntu is just for nerds, and that the average user wouldn’t be able to use it. So how on earth could it be better than Windows? Well the truth is that Ubuntu is not that difficult to use, in fact, it’s actually just as easy as Windows to use, if not easier in some respects. So then, let’s take a look at some of the reasons why Ubuntu is better than Windows.7 Linux Misconceptions Debunked 7 Linux Misconceptions DebunkedNot that many people use Linux. True or false? Let's face it, there are so many misconceptions about Linux, it's time to start addressing them. Let's debunk a few, one by one.READ MORE

1. OS and Software Updates

Imagine the scenario: you sit down to do some work at your Windows PC, and just after getting stuck in to that important document you need to type up, you get a popup asking you to update Windows. Being the dutiful, security conscious user that you are, you decide to update and reboot your machine.

Fast forward another 10 minutes, you’re settling in again and wouldn’t you know it, Apple now pops up and lets you know that there is an update for their software also. Annoying? Yes!

You see, this is because Windows handles its operating system and application updates separately. So you will receive popups for different applications as and when they need updating. This makes the whole process very frustrating, to the point were many people just turn them off.

Ubuntu is different. Everything is done via repositories and it uses a dedicated update manager to update both the operating system and all of the applications installed. So you only ever have to manage your updates from one place. This makes the process far slicker and means users tend not to  turn them off — which means you are more secure. Speaking of which…

2. Computer Security

Windows has a number of security features that you can use to help secure your system, but there’s no getting away from the fact that Ubuntu is more secure than Windows.7 Windows 10 Security Features & How to Use Them 7 Windows 10 Security Features & How to Use ThemWindows 10 is all about security. Microsoft recently instructed its partners that in sales, Windows 10's security features should be the primary focus. How does Windows 10 live up to this promise? Let's find out!READ MORE

User accounts within Ubuntu have far fewer permissions by default than in Windows. This means that if you want to make a change to the system — like installing an application — you need to enter your password to do it. In Windows, you don’t. This makes it much more difficult to execute malware or a virus inside Ubuntu.

Ubuntu is also a lot less popular than Windows. That means that the bad guys who make all the viruses don’t really care about it, so they don’t bother writing much malware for Ubuntu: that’s great news for us users!

Also, a lot of the bad guys use Linux distributions like Ubuntu themselves, so although Ubuntu isn’t impervious to virus’, it’s a lot less likely that you will get infected. It’s unlikely, but not impossible, which is why you should always use anti-virus software in Ubuntu.The 4 Best Free Linux Anti-Virus Programs The 4 Best Free Linux Anti-Virus ProgramsREAD MORE

3. Desktop Customization

There isn’t that much you can do with Windows when it comes to customization. Windows 10 gives more customization options than previous versions, but it’s still nowhere near that of Ubuntu.10 Quick Ways to Customize & Personalize Windows 10 10 Quick Ways to Customize & Personalize Windows 10Not all of Windows 10's default settings will float your boat. We show you all the possible ways to customize Windows 10 in a simple, step-by-step guide.READ MORE

You’re pretty much limited to changing your wallpaper and start menu colors in Windows, but in Ubuntu any aspect of the desktop can be easily changed. Want the window buttons on the right? No problem. Don’t like the icons? It’s easily fixed. Maybe the Ubuntu fonts don’t float your boat? Say no more!

The screenshot below is my Ubuntu 16.04 desktop. The changes I have made took around 5 minutes to apply and it looks very different from a stock install.

4. System Resources

Not everyone can afford an all-singing, all-dancing computer. So for some, the latest version of Windows may be out of their budget. However, the latest version of Ubuntu need not be.

On a test machine, I ran stock Ubuntu and stock Windows 10, and as you can see from the results below Windows 10 used almost double the amount of RAM as Ubuntu. Now that might not seem like a big difference, as this test machine has 8 GB RAM. But if your machine has 2 GB of RAM, that would mean that you have 60% of your RAM utilized in Ubuntu, or 90% utilized in Windows 10 and that’s before you start opening applications.

If your machine has even less resources than this, then there are lightweight versions of Ubuntu and Linux available that use even less system resources. This means that your computer could last years longer than you thought it would.LXQt: A Lightweight Linux Desktop Environment Built With KDE Technologies LXQt: A Lightweight Linux Desktop Environment Built With KDE TechnologiesDo you like the look of KDE, but wish it were less resource-hungry? With LXQt, your wish has finally been granted.READ MORE

5. Live Environment

If you haven’t used Windows before and decide you want to give it a try, you have to commit to installing it on your machine beforehand. That could lead to problems such as data loss, if you later decide you don’t like Windows.

That’s not the case in Ubuntu.

In Ubuntu — and many other Linux distributions — you can burn the image to a CD, or write it to a USB stick and boot it up straight from that media. This is a fully working version of the operating system, which means you can try every aspect of Ubuntu without having to commit to installing it on your hard drive.5 Best Linux Distros for Installation on a USB Stick 5 Best Linux Distros for Installation on a USB StickUSB drives are great, not just for installing portable versions of Linux but for protecting your computer when things go awry. Here are the 5 most useful Linux distributions for installing on a USB drive.READ MORE

Don’t like it? No problem: just reboot your machine and you will be back on your previous operating system as if nothing had ever happened.

6. It’s Free

That’s right, Ubuntu is 100% free. It won’t cost you a penny (although you can make a donation on their download page). I know what you’re going to say: “but Windows 10 is also free.”

Whilst it was offered as a free upgrade until the end of July, that offer is no longer valid (althoughthere are other ways you can still upgrade).Missed the Free Windows 10 Upgrade? Psst, Here's a Backdoor! Missed the Free Windows 10 Upgrade? Psst, Here's a Backdoor!The upgrade to Windows 10 remains free for users who depend on assistive technologies. However, Microsoft doesn't check whether you really do. We show you how you can use this backdoor to get Windows 10.READ MORE

If you want to buy Windows 10 it will cost you $119.99 for the Home edition and $199.99 for the Professional edition, that’s a lot of money. So why not save that cash and put it to better use elsewhere? You could download the latest version Ubuntu for free instead.

Windows vs. Ubuntu: Which Do You Prefer?

Overall, both Windows 10 and Ubuntu are fantastic operating systems, each with their own strengths and weaknesses, and it’s great that we have the choice.

Have you tried either of these operating systems? If so, please do tell us about your experiences in the comments section below. If you haven’t tried Ubuntu, what’s stopping you?