Oscilloscope Security

At Teledyne LeCroy, we are committed to strict adherence to oscilloscope security best practices by us as the provider and urge your adoption as the user of our products.

Adhering to oscilloscope security best practices mitigates common security concerns:

• Teledyne LeCroy oscilloscope is configured to run in Windows non-administrator mode of operations preventing any unauthorized installation and operating system changes.
• Teledyne LeCroy demonstration oscilloscopes are protected against viruses in order to protect customer information networks during evaluations.
• Manufacturing and testing of Teledyne LeCroy oscilloscopes are done in a secure network environment. We employ scanning procedures using current virus definitions during production, to ensure a clean build environment.
• Oscilloscopes returned to Teledyne LeCroy for repair, calibration, or updates are also scanned noninvasively on receipt, ensuring the customers unit is safe and so the repair environment will remain clean of any malware or viruses.
• Reconditioned instruments are treated the same as original manufactured or serviced from a software perspective – each is made fully safe, secure, and updated prior to resale.

These oscilloscope security practices are designed to help maintain the highest level of security on your Teledyne LeCroy instrument.

Every new Teledyne LeCroy Windows 10-based oscilloscope has Windows Defender up to date and running in the background.

While this process ensures you receiving your instrument without viruses, it does not necessarily protect your instrument from a virus once connected to your network.

Teledyne LeCroy recommends that you:

• Change/update password of the default administration user account as soon as you receive the instrument and keep it secure.
• Install antivirus software on your instrument. You may wish to check your IT department first to see if they have a preferred Anti-Virus tool.
• Do not install multiple Anti-Virus programs on one instrument, and avoid installing one, un-installing it, and then installing a different Anti-Virus program.
• Ensure that the Anti-Virus definitions are up-to-date using your preferred product's updating service.
• Ensure that the latest Operating System Service Packs and Critical Updates have been installed by running Microsoft Update.

Teledyne LeCroy's new Windows 10 oscilloscopes have the built in Windows Defender antivirus/security suite enabled and running. If you seek additional virus protection for your oscilloscope, Teledyne LeCroy recommends ESET’s NOD32 as the tool of choice for virus protection. We have tested this product fully for compatibility and performance impact. Other Anti-Virus software may negatively impact the oscilloscope performance.

If an oscilloscope protected with Antivirus has been disconnected from the network for an extended period, Teledyne LeCroy recommends updating the virus definition files before reconnecting the instrument to a network.

Teledyne LeCroy's oscilloscope production lines are updated regularly to ship OS images complete with needed service packs and patches. A recovery partition is included on the hard disk drive of each Teledyne LeCroy oscilloscope. Since it is possible you may receive an oscilloscope from storage or in transit for some period, we recommend routine application of critical OS patches as part of your regular oscilloscope maintenance. Your oscilloscope is expected to provide long service life (Teledyne LeCroy long term support extends for seven years after your oscilloscope is removed from the new product catalog) and therefore your recovery partition does age. If you find it necessary to rebuild an older oscilloscope, service packs and critical updates must also be reinstalled.

Teledyne LeCroy demonstration oscilloscopes are protected with AntiVirus software. Virus definitions are updated and Operating Systems patched at least quarterly. If you wish, prior to any demonstration at your facility, you may invite your IT department to examine the oscilloscope before connecting it to your network. Teledyne LeCroy Sales and Applications Engineers, and Service Departments, are equipped with a set of security tools allowing them to keep demonstration oscilloscopes clean and safe for your evaluation.

Your oscilloscope is non-invasively scanned for viruses upon receipt at a Teledyne LeCroy service center. If a virus is found, you are contacted and asked how you would like us to proceed. While at Teledyne LeCroy, your machine is carefully protected. Prior to return shipment your oscilloscope is again non-invasively scanned.

All of our Windows 10-based oscilloscopes ship with Windows 10 LTSC which is a Long Term Service Cycle product. These oscilloscopes offer an increased level of security with Windows Defender and Firewall enabled by default. All instruments ship with an operating system image that contains operating system updates which we manage and release every 90 days. Some OS updates may need to be installed by the end customer if they have been released more recently than 90 days prior to shipment from factory.

Older models of Teledyne LeCroy oscilloscopes shipped with Windows 7 and Service Pack 1 installed. Microsoft ended support of Windows 7 as of January 14, 2020. Patches and other security updates are no longer available. Each user should assess this impact on security.

Without critical Windows OS security updates, your system may become vulnerable to harmful viruses, spyware, and other malicious software which can steal or damage your business data and information. Anti-Virus software will not be able to fully protect you due to lack of security updates.

Please visit the Microsoft Product and Services Lifecycle website for further details concerning Windows 7 or any other operating system, or call your local Teledyne LeCroy Sales and Service office for more details about your system and possible upgrades to a newer Operating System.

While critical patches and updates are no longer supplied, the oscilloscope’s core software is not affected and will continue to operate as expected.

Older models of Teledyne LeCroy oscilloscopes shipped with Windows XP professional. Microsoft ended support of Windows XP as of April 8, 2014. Use the same caution as Windows 7 when connecting these systems to your network or the internet.

While critical patches and updates are no longer supplied, the oscilloscope's core software is not affected and will continue to operate as expected.

WaveSurfer 400 and WaveSurfer Xs had shipped with Windows XP Embedded SP3. XP Embedded, even though virtually identical to XP Pro, cannot currently use the Windows Update service.

It is very important to note that the released Service Pack 2 and Service Pack 3 for Windows XP Home and Professional are not compatible with XP Embedded. Installing this service pack is likely to render your oscilloscope unusable, requiring Operating System re-installation.

Support for critical updates and service packs are not provided for XP Embedded. Windows XP pro may be installed if security updates are required. Contact your local Teledyne LeCroy service office for upgrade information.

Early Windows based Teledyne LeCroy oscilloscopes used Windows 2000. Support for Windows 2000 ended July 13, 2010, patches and other security updates are no longer available. Use the same caution as Windows XP when connecting these systems to your network or the internet.

Teledyne LeCroy recommends all users of Windows 2000 oscilloscopes upgrade their operating system to Windows 2000 Service Pack 4.

Before upgrading, note that Service Pack 4 must be installed prior to upgrading or installing scope software version 2.9.1.10 or greater. However, the oscilloscope does not operate properly if Service Pack 4 is installed on older scope software versions.