Microsoft calls for Windows changes and resilience after CrowdStrike outage
www.theverge.com
Microsoft drops subtle hints about the future direction of Windows security.

Kernel anti-cheat systems are currently the bane of Linux/Steam Deck gaming, haven’t actually proven to be effective at stopping cheaters (see Valorant for an example), and lead to various security concerns from giving 3rd parties full access to your machine to being used to install ransomware and malware.

Windows tried to restrict kernel access years ago, but backed down under pressure from various companies. However Crowdstrike’s outages have shown the sever consequences of leaving kernel access open, and we might finally see kernel access to be cut off.

  • lordnikon@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    what kills me is we Solved Cheating in the 90s and early 00s. It’s called dedicated servers. People would buy a game someone would setup a server and if you were a dick or cheat you would get kicked and each sever was like a community just like it is here.

    But the companies want control they want to be able to shut download the game on their timetable and get you to buy the next game. A tool or system is never going to fix this people and breaking communities into manageable chunks can.

    Hell back in the day servers were hacked on purpose to create new types of games. Anyone remember CS Surfing and Sniper only maps in TFC.

    the point is people can hack away break the game beyond recognition but they can do that off in their own space.

    Now I know that breaks global leader boards and other ego driven things but I’m just talking about having fun with games.

    • Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works
      1·
      2 months ago

      Those were the days for sure. Dedicated servers were fantastic, you’d often run across the same people in the same server as well and get to know folks. A community, like you said.

        • Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works
          0·
          2 months ago

          I don’t but it’s probably pretty region dependent. In Australia I used to play on Internode servers a lot.

          • lordnikon@lemmy.worldEnglish
            0·
            2 months ago

            ah cool yeah it was this thing in the US where you connected into rooms that had dedicated servers attached to them but under the hood it was all peer to peer I think that would be a server browser for games that didn’t have that like quake, quake 2 and mechwarrior 2, decent. It was run by sega.

            What made it crazy awesome is you generated points by logging in and playing to spend in the heat store and they sold like GPUs like voodoo 2 2000s and gaming mice, etc.

            It all crashed in a blaze once people figured out you could just camp in games an minimize and keep generating points.

            By that point Half-life and Quake 3 was out and had the server browser built in so it was on the way out anyway.

  • AlternateRoute@lemmy.caEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    MS had this implemented originally in NT4 then started allowing more drivers direct access for performance.

    They tried again with VISTA but McAfee and Symantec cried to the EU and forced MS to back down.

    Apparently apple got away with implementing it however.

    • deegeese@sopuli.xyz
      1·
      2 months ago

      Apple implemented a kernel API for security software and made it good enough that they forced their own tools to use the API.

      MS’s own tools depended on kernel access but they tried locking out 3rd party vendors without building a replacement like Apple did.

      McAfee and Symantec correctly pointed out how this would be using monopolist powers to block competitors.

      Microsoft needs to shut up and do the work to make their kernel secure.