🇩🇪 Another European Region Ditches Microsoft: Linux Adoption Accelerates

Following Denmark’s recent move to transition its digital infrastructure to Linux and LibreOffice, a German federal state has now announced a similar plan — dropping Microsoft Windows and Office in favor of open-source alternatives. The shift is gaining momentum, and it’s starting to look like a growing European movement.

But what does this trend mean for the future of government IT, digital sovereignty, and cybersecurity?

A Growing Pattern Across Europe

First Denmark, now a German state — and this might just be the beginning. In the article published by PC för Alla, the German state has declared its intention to gradually move public institutions away from Microsoft products. The reasons are similar across the board:

• Reducing dependence on foreign tech giants
• Saving public money
• Gaining control over software ecosystems
• Ensuring long-term access and compatibility through open standards

Europe has long been debating digital sovereignty, especially as tensions rise globally over data protection and geopolitical control of tech infrastructure. Open-source software offers an escape from this vendor lock-in.

The Positive Outcomes

• Economic Savings: No more massive license renewals for operating systems and productivity suites.
• Customizability: Open-source allows tailoring to local needs — something large commercial vendors rarely provide.
• Transparency: Anyone can audit the code, which is especially important for public institutions handling sensitive data.
• Standardization Across Borders: If multiple EU countries use similar open-source stacks, it could lead to better interoperability and shared resources.

But Not Without Risk

Despite its advantages, the shift comes with challenges:

• Learning Curve: Staff accustomed to Windows and Microsoft Office will need training and time to adapt.
• Compatibility: Not all workflows or legacy systems migrate smoothly — especially in bureaucracy-heavy sectors.
• Support Infrastructure: While Microsoft offers commercial support, governments must now rely on internal expertise or third-party support companies.
• Security Target Shift: As mentioned in our earlier coverage of Denmark’s move — the more popular Linux becomes, the more attractive it becomes to attackers.

“Security through obscurity” is no longer an option. If Linux-based systems become the new standard in public administration, they must be secured with the same (or higher) rigor traditionally applied to Windows-based environments.

What the Future Might Hold

If this trend continues, we could see:

• A cascade effect, with other regions and countries following suit
• The development of new government-funded open-source distributions or tools
• A more resilient, independent European digital landscape
• But also, a potential rise in Linux-targeted malware, phishing campaigns, and zero-day exploits

Governments must prepare for both the benefits and the responsibilities that come with running an open-source infrastructure.

Final Thoughts

This isn’t just about software — it’s about sovereignty, transparency, and the future of public digital services. If properly managed, the move to Linux can empower governments and protect citizen data. But poor implementation or lack of preparation could lead to service disruptions, user frustration, and even new cyberattack vectors.

Europe is changing. The question is: will the rest of the world follow?

What is Anubis Ransomware?

Discovered in mid-2025, Anubis is a ransomware variant that takes its name from the Egyptian god of the dead—and for good reason. Instead of merely holding files hostage, it executes them. After encrypting a victim’s files, the malware demands a ransom (usually in cryptocurrency), promising a decryption key upon payment. However, analysis has revealed that the malware has no functional decryption routine—once the files are encrypted, they are irreversibly overwritten or deleted.

Security researchers believe this behavior is intentional, likely designed to cause maximum disruption and psychological damage rather than financial gain.

Who Are the Targets?

Anubis doesn’t discriminate by industry, but critical infrastructure and healthcare institutions appear to be prime targets. Several reported attacks have involved:

• Hospitals and clinics, resulting in data loss and halted medical operations.
• Municipal networks, affecting emergency response and civic services.
• Educational institutions, erasing research and administrative records.
• SMBs (small and medium-sized businesses) lacking proper backups.

The choice of targets seems tactical—disrupting organizations where downtime equals danger.

Technical Behavior

While the full technical breakdown is still ongoing, researchers have observed the following behavior:

• Payload Delivery: Via phishing emails, malicious attachments, or vulnerable exposed services (e.g. RDP, VPN).
• Encryption: Files are encrypted with strong algorithms, but without saving decryption metadata.
• Destruction: Files are deleted or corrupted even if ransom is paid.
• Anti-Recovery: It wipes shadow copies, disables backups, and often attempts to overwrite files with garbage data before deletion.

Anubis also prevents boot in some cases, corrupting system partitions or disabling key services to paralyze the system further.

How to Protect Yourself

Given Anubis’ non-negotiable nature, prevention is the only real defense. Here are critical steps to minimize your risk:

1. Backups Are King

• Maintain regular, offline, and offsite backups.
• Test recovery procedures monthly.
• Avoid mapping backup storage directly to production systems.

2. Patch and Harden

• Keep systems, especially public-facing services, fully patched.
• Disable unnecessary ports (like RDP) and use firewalls or VPNs to restrict remote access.
• Harden configurations using CIS Benchmarks or similar guidelines.

3. Educate Your Team

• Conduct regular phishing training.
• Simulate attacks to build awareness.

4. Use EDR and Network Monitoring

• Employ Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools with behavioral detection.
• Monitor traffic for unusual activity (e.g., outbound traffic spikes, command & control connections).

5. Zero Trust Principles

• Limit permissions.
• Segment networks.
• Authenticate everything—especially internal access.

Should You Ever Pay?

No. Not with Anubis. This is not a ransomware that unlocks your files post-payment—it destroys them. Paying only funds further destruction and emboldens attackers.

Instead, report the attack to national cybersecurity authorities (like CERT-SE in Sweden or CISA in the U.S.), preserve any evidence, and isolate infected systems immediately.

Final Thoughts

Anubis is not just another ransomware strain—it represents a shift in cybercriminal mindset from extortion to pure sabotage. It also underlines the critical importance of preparedness over reaction.

“Hope is not a strategy. Backups, segmentation, and proactive defense are.”

Organizations—especially those in healthcare and critical infrastructure—must now treat ransomware not just as a financial threat, but as a destructive force. With no key, no mercy, and no trust, Anubis lives up to its mythological namesake—ushering victims straight to the digital underwo