Advice Request Is cloudOS as secure as running VM?

[empleat]

Hello,

I used VM, but it causes input lag and I am tired, after each session to disable virtualization in BIOS, when I want to play games... There are some cloudOS, which are free and run in browser, e.g. "silveos.com". Are these free cloudOS products secure for browsing shady sites? It is relatively simple OS and runs in cloud. But you are connecting to it in your browser! I am not sure, if there is any direct connection to you, where it could inject your browser with something perhaps. Or if it just sends you its screen, or what? I am not sure, if you could catch virus using these! Didn't find anything about the issue! Is this secure enough compared to regular VM, which runs on your local computer?

Thanks!

 

[Ink]

Viruses would be the least of my concerns if I were using these "cloud-based" OSes for my Banking and Online Shopping.

What do you intend to use a VM for?

I used VM, but it causes input lag and I am tired, after each session to disable virtualization in BIOS, when I want to play games.

Not sure what you mean by this, why do you need to disable it every time? Can't you have a dedicated rig for both Gaming and VM?

 

[Kongo]

Hello,

I used VM, but it causes input lag and I am tired, after each session to disable virtualization in BIOS, when I want to play games... There are some cloudOS, which are free and run in browser, e.g. "silveos.com". Are these free cloudOS products secure for browsing shady sites? It is relatively simple OS and runs in cloud. But you are connecting to it in your browser! I am not sure, if there is any direct connection to you, where it could inject your browser with something perhaps. Or if it just sends you its screen, or what? I am not sure, if you could catch virus using these! Didn't find anything about the issue! Is this secure enough compared to regular VM, which runs on your local computer?

Thanks!

Go try VMware Workstation Player. I had similar problems with Virtual Box but on VMware they don't occur.

 

[empleat]

Viruses would be the least of my concerns if I were using these "cloud-based" OSes for my Banking and Online Shopping.

What do you intend to use a VM for?


Not sure what you mean by this, why do you need to disable it every time? Can't you have a dedicated rig for both Gaming and VM?

I forget to specify, for browsing shady sites. For nothing sensitive, but it should be as secure as VM. Just so my browser/computer won't get infected from doing so!

Go try VMware Workstation Player. I had similar problems with Virtual Box but on VMware they don't occur.

Yeah but virtualization has to be still enabled in BIOS and it causes input lag and I don't like it!

 

[Kongo]

I forget to specify, for browsing shady sites. For nothing sensitive, but it should be as secure as VM. Just so my browser/computer won't get infected from doing so!

Yeah but virtualization has to be still enabled in BIOS and it causes input lag and I don't like it!

Maybe thats the kind of solution that you are looking for

ANY.RUN - Interactive Online Malware Sandbox

Cloud-based malware analysis service. Take your information security to the next level. Analyze suspicious and malicious activities using our innovative tools.

any.run

Or running your browser in a sandbox

GitHub - sandboxie-plus/Sandboxie: Sandboxie Plus & Classic

Sandboxie Plus & Classic. Contribute to sandboxie-plus/Sandboxie development by creating an account on GitHub.

github.com

and

Download Alternative Sandbox for Windows

Sandbox Software is an alternative sandbox program for Windows, 8, 10 with support for 32, 64 bit systems

www.shadesandbox.com

 

[empleat]

Maybe thats the kind of solution that you are looking for

ANY.RUN - Interactive Online Malware Sandbox

Cloud-based malware analysis service. Take your information security to the next level. Analyze suspicious and malicious activities using our innovative tools.

any.run

This is tool more for malware analysis, it allows you to launch 1 URL. I am looking for something on which I can browse multiple websites on the web and it won't infest my computer, while doing it. So are these free/CloudOSes any secure? E.g. silveos.com

 

[Kongo]

This is tool more for malware analysis, it allows you to launch 1 URL. I am looking for something on which I can browse multiple websites on the web and it won't infest my computer, while doing it. So are these free/CloudOSes any secure? E.g. silveos.com

As I mentioned above you can use for example Tor within a sandbox. It's pretty unlikely that you get infected from just visiting a website, but it can happen. In that case you still have the sandbox that shields your browser from the rest of the system. And if even this layer fails you still have your AV. If you plan to do malware testing and browse malicious websites intentionally, you will have to run a VM (even if it's laggy for you) or just use an old laptop within it's own network so it's shielded from your other devices (@McMcbrad does that as far as I know). Everything else would be pretty risky.

 

[empleat]

This is so annoying and I can't do even dual boot, because I can't disable NVME in my BIOS... You would need 5 computers for everything lol... So I take it CloudOSes aren't safe, as you said everything else...

 

[Kongo]

This is so annoying and I can't do even dual boot, because I can't disable NVME in my BIOS... You would need 5 computers for everything lol... So I take it CloudOSes aren't safe, as you said everything else...

I didn't mention an cloudOS, cause I never tried them and don't want to tell you anything that I'm not sure about.

 

[ForgottenSeer 89360]

or just use an old laptop within it's own network so it's shielded from your other devices (@McMcbrad does that as far as I know). Everything else would be pretty risky.

Yep, it is a dedicated device that I use and it is isolated from the rest of my network. However, I have 3 levels of virtualisation that I pick according to what any.run analyses shows. If it's ransomware, I might run it with Shadow Defender. If it's a loader, I might run it with Sandboxie. If it's a RAT/stealer or anything capable of exfiltrating data, I run it in VM.

My last addition is an old laptop with Neverware CloudReady. This will be used just for quick shopping, to send an email, to see a YT video, etc. In my home network everything has its own purpose.

 

[Wasar]

Yep, it is a dedicated device that I use and it is isolated from the rest of my network. However, I have 3 levels of virtualisation that I pick according to what any.run analyses shows. If it's ransomware, I might run it with Shadow Defender. If it's a loader, I might run it with Sandboxie. If it's a RAT/stealer or anything capable of exfiltrating data, I run it in VM.

My last addition is an old laptop with Neverware CloudReady. This will be used just for quick shopping, to send an email, to see a YT video, etc.

But could there be any risk of infecting the router? I had read something about Dns hijacker that changed router settings.

 

[ForgottenSeer 89360]

But could there be any risk of infecting the router? I had read something about Dns hijacker that changed router settings.

Even if it's possible it will not be an issue, as this router only connects this PC (for malware testing). Everything else is connected to another, far more secure router.

 

[Brahman]

This is so annoying and I can't do even dual boot, because I can't disable NVME in my BIOS... You would need 5 computers for everything lol... So I take it CloudOSes aren't safe, as you said everything else...

What's wrong with dual booting and nvme? What's your system specs? The only thing with dual booting windows and Linux is that you need to disable secure boot. I have my boot drive as nvme and I have no issues dual booting windows and popos.

 

[ForgottenSeer 89360]

What's wrong with dual booting and nvme? What's your system specs? The only thing with dual booting windows and Linux is that you need to disable secure boot. I have my boot drive as nvme and I have no issues dual booting windows and popos.

There are distros that support secure boot. Linux Mint and OpenSuse are 2 of them.
However virtualisation should still be used to protect your hardware and to allow easy rollback.

 

[empleat]

What's wrong with dual booting and nvme? What's your system specs? The only thing with dual booting windows and Linux is that you need to disable secure boot. I have my boot drive as nvme and I have no issues dual booting windows and popos.

Because one system can see another. You can't disable NVME in bios, at least in my bios...

I don't want spend money for another computer.

So anyone knows if CloudOSes are secure as VMs?

 

[ForgottenSeer 89360]

So anyone knows if CloudOSes are secure as VMs?

Yes, they are safe because code is ran there, in a container. All that's being ran in your browser is a JavaScript that allows basic interaction. Catching a virus through a browser requires an exploit and that's already not too common. Catching a virus whilst running something in a cloud OS would require multiple exploits.

However, you can also use sandboxed browser (for example with Sandboxie) to achieve an adequate level of protection.

 

[empleat]

Yes, they are safe because code is ran there, in a container. All that's being ran in your browser is a JavaScript that allows basic interaction. Catching a virus through a browser requires an exploit and that's already not too common. Catching a virus whilst running something in a cloud OS would require multiple exploits.

However, you can also use sandboxed browser (for example with Sandboxie) to achieve an adequate level of protection.

Yeah but sandboxie requires virtualization, which I wanted avoid to use. I will try CloudOS i guess with no script.

 

[Kongo]

Just tested SilveOS. It doesn't even let me connect to a website and rederects me to the Bing start page outside of the OS in a new tab. Doesn't seem secure to me. Also, if you decide to use SilveOS you should still use a VPN.

 

[empleat]

Hmmmm. May want to find some better alternative, but I didn't find much!

 

[ForgottenSeer 89360]

ZeroPC is OK.