Protect against WannaCry Ransomware: Patch Release

In the wake of the largest ransomware attack in history that has already infected over 114,000 Windows systems worldwide in the space of just 24 hours , Microsoft just took an unusual step to protect its customers with out-of-date computers. Now in one way this is a I told you so and you didn't listen type scenario and on the other side it brings home the real issues that cyber crime can deliver on a world wide scale when it all goes wrong.

so, if your organization, for some reason, is still running on Windows XP or Vista, you are strongly advised to download and APPLY PATCH NOW!

WannaCrypt, or also known as WannaCry, is a new ransomware that wreaked havoc across the world last night, which spreads like a worm by leveraging a Windows SMB vulnerability (MS17-010) that has been previously fixed by Microsoft in March.

A large number of successful infections of the WannaCry ransomware at an astonishing pace concludes that either significant number of users have not yet installed the security patch released in March (MS17-010) or they are still running an unsupported version of Windows for which Microsoft is no longer releasing any security update.

Moreover, if you are using Windows 10, you are on the safe side. Once infected, WannaCry unlocks the computers and requires victims to pay $300 in Bitcoins to get back the control of their systems, along with a threat to double the price to $600.

But there's no guarantee of getting your files back even after paying the ransom. Best advise would be to upgrade you system to the latest version unless you have issues running legacy software. 

 

7 easy Steps to Protect Yourself

Currently, there is no WannaCry decryption tool or any other solution available, so users are strongly advised to follow prevention measures in order to protect themselves.

• Keep your system Up-to-date: First of all, if you are using supported, but older versions of Windows operating system, keep your system up to date, or simply upgrade your system to Windows 10.
• Using Unsupported Windows OS? If you are using unsupported versions of Windows, including Windows XP, Vista, Server 2003 or 2008, apply the emergency patch released by Microsoft today.
• Enable Firewall: Enable firewall, and if it is already there, modify your firewall configurations to block access to SMB ports over the network or the Internet. The protocol operates on TCP ports 137, 139, and 445, and over UDP ports 137 and 138.
• Disable SMB: Follow steps described by Microsoft to disable Server Message Block (SMB).
• Keep your Antivirus software up-to-date: Virus definitions have already been updated to protect against this latest threat.
• Backup Regularly: To always have a tight grip on all your important files and documents, keep a good backup routine in place that makes their copies to an external storage device that is not always connected to your PC.
• Beware of Phishing: Always be suspicious of uninvited documents sent an email and never click on links inside those documents unless verifying the source.