On May 12, 2017 a new strain of the Ransom.CryptXXX (WannaCry) strain of ransomware began spreading widely impacting a large number of organizations, particularly in Europe. This virus specifically targets Microsoft Windows computers.
A hacking tool known as Eternal Blue, developed by US CIA has been enhanced by the hackers to super-charge an existing form of ransomware known as WannaCry, three senior cyber security analysts said.
Wcry is demanding a ransom of $300 to $600 in Bitcoin to be paid by May 15, or, in the event that deadline is missed, a higher fee by May 19. The messages left on the screen say files will remain encrypted. It’s not yet clear if there are flaws in the encryption scheme that might allow the victims to restore the files without paying the ransom.
If you have yet to install the Microsoft fix—MS17-010— you should do so immediately. You should also be extremely suspicious of all e-mails you receive, particularly those that ask the recipient to open attached documents or click on Web links.
If you are an existing client of ours on our Managed Services Platform, you would have already received the fix through your weekly patching cycle, If not please check with your IT and or Security provider to ensure you are covered
Read Reuters Article : http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-security-hospitals-idUSKBN18820S
SamSam Strikes Again! Demands $51K from City of Atlanta
In case you haven’t heard, IT systems for the City of Atlanta were shut down by SamSam, a virulent form of ransomware. What’s SamSam? The SamSam malware hunts for critical files and uses AES 256-bit encryption to lock them up. The hacker then asks for a...
Under Armour’s “Armor Gets Penetrated”
How Would It Cost Your Business If This Happened To You? Have you read the news? According to Reuters, Under Armour Inc., headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, recently suffered a breach of the private information for their 150 million MyFitnessPal app users. This is...
How Being Healthy Can Ruin Your Life
Do you have a device or app that you enter personal information in so you can track what you eat, what you do for exercise, how much you weigh, where you live, and when you leave your home every day to go workout? Well, if you use MyFitnessPal you may be 1 of 150...