Test Equipment Running Windows XP - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: SimonR
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2016, 07:27:53 pm
content: I just wondered if anyone runs antivirus software on their windows powered test gear.Some high end test equipment has windows XP as its operating system, Our HP logic analyser for instance.We've recenty started accessing it through remote desktop, which means it sitting on the network.So now I'm thinking should we run antivirus, will that slow down or stop it working,should we build a seperate network instead.can we put two network cards in a PC so that pc can talk to the internet and the internal network, would that be good enough security.Has anyone else had to face this dilema?

author: D3f1ant
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2016, 07:37:21 pm
content: Unless you opening dodgy email attachments on your test equipment, I think the chance of getting a virus on it are extraordinarily low.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2016, 08:21:43 pm
content: On a large company network I'd put test equipment in a seperate network limited to the lab the equipment is in. Another rule of mine is to never ever use applications like word processing, internet browser, PDF viewer, etc on test equipment because virusses/malware can be distributed through files as well. Just limit the use of software to what came with the test equipment and you'll be reasonably safe. Also the fact XP doesn't get updates doesn't mean it is suddenly vulnerable.

author: Fungus
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2016, 08:27:00 pm
content: Quote from: D3f1ant on July 06, 2016, 07:37:21 pmTrue... so long as it runs SP2 and has the firewall enabled.I don't if the botnets are still out there running XP attacks but it used to be impossible to install Windows XP on a machine connected to a network. It would be owned before it ever had time to download a service pack.

author: TheSteve
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 06, 2016, 09:37:11 pm
content: Quote from: Fungus on July 06, 2016, 08:27:00 pmSheesh - what kind of crazy network were you on? Or do you mean directly connected the internet without any router/firewall?I have all of my network connected test equipment blocked from accessing the public internet by my router. That doesn't mean they couldn't be infected but at least there is no way for them to "call home".

author: Kilrah
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 06, 2016, 09:39:59 pm
content: At the time of the Blaster worm it was quite rare for people to have routers in home setups, the standard was straight modem->PC, that's it. No smartphones, tablets and multiple machines requiring one.EDIT: the modem was often dialup, too...

author: TheSteve
author_rank: Unknown
timestamp: July 06, 2016, 09:41:44 pm
content: Quote from: Kilrah on July 06, 2016, 09:39:59 pmSilly me, I had my own routed IP's at home in the 90's.

author: nctnico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 06, 2016, 10:44:19 pm
content: Quote from: Kilrah on July 06, 2016, 09:39:59 pmTrue. I was way ahead of my time in the late 90's and had a Linux machine as a router/firewall which did dial on-demand. Even in the DSL era internet providers came up with non-firewalled solutions. I think routers with a NAT firewall got standard somewhere between 2005 and 2010.

author: Mechatrommer
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 07, 2016, 12:45:09 am
content: Quote from: SimonR on July 06, 2016, 07:27:53 pmits a good time thinking of backing up anything in the HDD.