The WannaCry Outbreak:
Back in May this year a ransomware outbreak, used weaknesses in Microsoft’s Windows operating system to spread further and faster than any before.
The ransomware, also known as “WanaCryt0r”, “WeCry”, “WanaCrypt” or “WeCrypt0r”, used a vulnerability in a Windows Server component to spread within corporate networks.
Microsoft’s policy is that some commonly used versions of Windows no longer receive security patches; those versions include Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP, both of which have not been sold for over a decade; and Windows 8, which some users prefer to the supported Windows 8.1 because of differences between the two versions of the operating system. Typically, the company only provides support to organizations which pay expensive fees for “custom support” for these out-of-date platforms.
Once WeCry began spreading, however, Microsoft took the “highly unusual” step of releasing free security updates for those out-of-support versions of Windows, which can be downloaded from its website.
Now12 weeks later the WannaCry hackers have finally cashed out for a total of $140,000 in Bitcoin, Quartz reported. WannaCry, affected more than 300,000 people in roughly 150 countries, and has been linked to the North Korean government as part of an operation that was likely “more political than money-driven.” Protect your data from ransomware using Quantum Services Group Data Protection Services.
Click here to read more about this attack.
More than 200,000 computers have been affected around the world so far.
How to Protect Your Data:
- Take Extra Precautions with Emails: Always opt on the side of caution by being wary of suspicious emails and email attachments. NEVER open an email if it looks malicious and DO NOT download any email attachments from those emails. IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS, CONTACT JW TEK IMMEDIATELY AND WE WILL HELP DIAGNOSE THE SITUATION.
- Keep your OS up-to-date: The vulnerability does not exist in Windows 10, the latest version of the software, but is present in all versions of Windows prior to that, dating back to Windows XP.
- Download the Security Patch: Users of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003 and Windows 8 can defend against the ransomware by downloading the new patch from Windows.
