WannaCry! Ransomware

The NHS (among many others globally) was affected by an outbreak of malware called WannaCry last Friday causing widespread problems and a frenzy of media coverage.

The facts you should know about WannaCry:

• The malware is called “WannaCry”
• It is a type of “ransomware” which encrypts the files of infected machines to extort money from the victi
• Only machines with Windows 8 or below are potentially vulnerable (Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 are not)
• Microsoft released a patch for the vulnerabilty used by the malware to spread from one machine to another on 14th March 2017
• Apple Macs are not affected
• The malware in its current form has been stopped by researchers who were able to invoke a kill switch built into the malware itself
• Variants of the malware may appear on the internet this week

What your IT team should be doing

• Making sure that servers and workstations routinely patched at least monthly
• The protocol (SMB version 1) which the malware uses to spread itself should be disabled where possible
• Ensuring antivirus is installed and up to date on all machines

What you can do to protect your business from Wannacry?

Restart your PC – Updates and patches require a reboot to take effect and regular reboots ensure they are applied.

• Phishing emails are the most common way of getting past IT security so as always, exercise caution:
• Do not open attachments from unknown recipients
• Do not click links from unknown recipients
• Be aware of spoofing – faked emails which appear to come from someone you know
• Delete anything suspicious

If you think your business has experienced a cyber attack, contact Cubit Technologyy to find out more.