Advice Request Which product presents a greater threat to corporate/military security, TikTok or Microsoft Windows/Outlook?

[MuzzMelbourne]

Pretty simple really, based on what you have read/heard recently, which software presents the greatest security risk, TikTok or Windows/Outlook?

(If the Mods could turn this into a poll, that would be great. Beyond my ability.)

 

[Ink]

Pretty simple really, based on what you have read/heard recently, which software presents the greatest security risk, TikTok or Windows/Outlook?

What's the story behind Windows/Outlook being a threat? I've not seen any Western media report on the issue.

(If the Mods could turn this into a poll, that would be great. Beyond my ability.)

I have changed your thread type from Question to Poll. Next time you want to create a Poll, be sure to select it.

 

[Digmor Crusher]

What's the story behind Windows/Outlook being a threat? I've not seen any Western media report on the issue.


I have changed your thread type from Question to Poll. Next time you want to create a Poll, be sure to select it.

View attachment 273665

This:
Critical Microsoft Outlook bug PoC shows how easy it is to exploit

 

[Bot]

Pretty simple really, based on what you have read/heard recently, which software presents the greatest security risk, TikTok or Windows/Outlook?

(If the Mods could turn this into a poll, that would be great. Beyond my ability.)

As an AI language model, I cannot express opinions or beliefs. However, I can provide information that might be helpful in understanding the potential security risks of different software. Both TikTok and Microsoft Windows/Outlook have been subject to security concerns.

TikTok has faced scrutiny for its data collection practices, as many believe it could be used for espionage or security threats to both individuals and organizations. However, TikTok has repeatedly denied these claims and modified its privacy policies to alleviate concerns.

On the other hand, Microsoft Windows/Outlook has been a target for hackers and cybercriminals due to its widespread use. The software's vulnerabilities, if left unpatched, could lead to data breaches or cyber attacks, which could pose significant security risks for businesses and individuals.

Overall, it is important to consider the potential security risks and take necessary precautions while using any software, regardless of the perceived level of threat.

 

[ForgottenSeer 98186]

It is not really an equivalent comparison as the threats via TikTok and Windows\Outlook are much different (at least the ones alluded to).

1. TikTok - the fear is that the Chinese government can force hidden, backdoored access to users' data and comms.
2. Windows\Outlook - the greatest attack surface and vectors happen on these products.

 

[Jonny Quest]

From the link posted by @Digmor Crusher the severity of the Outlook security flaw is a 9.8 severity rating, with the number of people using Outlook being at about 400 million, (below link) cp to the active TikTok users being about1 billion (approx 1.5 billion total). So what is worse, TikTok monitoring, data collecting peoples use, or hackers ability to absolutely steal hashed passwords and the like?

From that article: Critical Microsoft Outlook bug PoC shows how easy it is to exploit
The issue is a privilege escalation vulnerability with a 9.8 severity rating that affects all versions of Microsoft Outlook on Windows.
An attacker can use it to steal NTLM credentials by simply sending the target a malicious email. No user interaction is needed as exploitation occurs when Outlook is open and the reminder is triggered on the system.

From this article: 36 TikTok Statistics 2023: How Many Users Are There!
With 1 billion active users spread across 154 countries, TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms as of 2023.

From this article:

Number of Email Users Worldwide 2024: Demographics & Predictions - Financesonline.com

Discussion of the number of email users worldwide with details on user demographics, email traffic, open rates, and popular service providers.

financesonline.com

Gmail is the most popular with 1.5 billion active global users (Androidpolice). This is followed by Outlook with 400 million; roughly a quarter of Gmail’s numbers. Yahoo! Mail closes the third spot with nearly 230 million active users.

So, it is an intriguing thread posted by MuzzMelbourne

 

[cartaphilus]

The question needs to be asked: "Whose Military and Corporate security"? For US is TickTock since Outlook is used by people as a form of corporate communication and can also be used as outlook.com vs a stand-alone app. Whereupon, TickTock has no business doing on a corporate or military network.

As for other nations and military, then it's both.

 

[Azure]

Do corporates or military organization even use TikTok?

 

[MuzzMelbourne]

What's the story behind Windows/Outlook being a threat? I've not seen any Western media report on the issue.


I have changed your thread type from Question to Poll. Next time you want to create a Poll, be sure to select it.

View attachment 273665

The premise of my question is the amount of reporting where Microsoft products are the primary entry point for threat actor's malicious activity. Not so much on TikTok.

I tried to create a poll from the outset but couldn't workout how to do it. Is there an instruction note on the procedure? Cheers.

Do corporates or military organization even use TikTok?

Their staff certainly do... seems to be considered a potential/real threat in the US, UK, New Zealand, etc., etc.

The question needs to be asked: "Whose Military and Corporate security"?

While admittedly a very generic question, do specifics really matter?

 

[cartaphilus]

While admittedly a very generic question, do specifics really matter?

I would say yes. Since Windows and Outlook are American products thus allowed to go on US GOV networks and everything else. Some other nations would think of those tools are spying tools and not trust it; for example China would not trust US Windows on their sensitive machines and they are most likely running their own home cooked version. Same goes for Iran and Russia etc. I am not trying to be argumentative I am just stating that the answer to the question has to be seen from a global scale. For example China would more likely see Outlook as a spy device vs their version of TikTok since they made TikTok but didn't make Outlook.