Do you WannaCry? Ransomware cyberattacks: what you need to know
By now you have probably heard about the recent ransomware cyberattack called WannaCry. The attacks started on Friday 12 May 2017 and…
onPlatinum By now you have probably heard about the recent ransomware cyberattack called WannaCry. The attacks started on Friday 12 May 2017 and to date, have infected more than 230,000 computers in over 150 countries.
Major companies in England and Spain were infected including the British National Health Service and FedEx in Spain.
Once it hits just one computer, it can very quickly spread over an entire network. When WannaCry hit, it didn’t waste it’s time hitting devices on the local network and remote host. The network devices infected were the ones that didn’t have the latest security update.
Microsoft issued a security patch update for Windows on 14 March 2017, almost a full two months before the attack, however the systems that were infected didn’t have the update installed. Most of the systems affected were running the older operating systems of Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.
IT systems and infrastructure are more far reaching that just the humble server or PC. When WannaCry hit the National Health Services it infected up to 70,000 devices including computers, blood-storage fridges, operating theatre equipment and MRI scanners. This could have resulted in loss of lives and we don’t yet know the full economic impact.
For us in Australia, mostly we have been unharmed by the WannaCry attack. However, next time we might not be as lucky. Here is what you can do to be prepared:
- Keep your software updated and install all security patches as soon as they are released
- Don’t pay the ransom
- Backup your data and have a disaster recovery plan in place
If you have a managed service provider such as onPlatinum ICT we take care of all your systems. This includes updating your software, installing the security patches, backing up your data, ensuring the backups are working and having a disaster recovery plan in place.
Ransomware is becoming more common in today’s world, so it’s vital for the survival of your business that you have these procedures in place.
As an onPlatinum client, if WannaCry or ransomware affects you don’t pay the ransom. Call us and in most cases, we can have you back up and running within the hour. Providing you complete peace of mind and no tears.
Click here to learn more about how onPlatinum can protect your business.
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