WannaCry? Hackers Infecting Hundreds of Thousands Worldwide
You may have seen the news this weekend. Criminal hackers have released a new strain of ransomware now aptly titled “WannaCry?” The strain spreads itself automatically across all workstations in a network, causing a global epidemic. If you or a co-worker are not paying attention and accidentally open one of these phishing email attachments, you might infect not only your own workstation, but immediately everyone else’s computer too.
Be very careful when you get an email with an attachment you did not ask for. If there is a .zip file in the attachment, do not click on it but delete the whole email. Remember: “When in doubt, throw it out!
Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at the Helsinki-based cybersecurity company F-Secure, called the attack “the biggest ransomware outbreak in history.” This is a cyber pandemic caused by a ransomware weapon of mass destruction.
Hundreds of Thousands Machines Infected Worldwide
FedEx Corp, Renault, Nissan, Russian banks, gas stations in China, and Spanish telecommunications firm Telefonica which reported 85% of their systems being down as a result of a cyberattack earlier today, and ironically the Russian Interior ministry had 1,000 machines encrypted. Even the German Railways were infected. Dozens of hospitals in the UK were shut down. Cybersecurity experts have long used the phrase “where bits and bytes meet flesh and blood,” which signifies a cyberattack in which someone is physically harmed. This monster has infected hundreds of thousands of systems in more than 150 countries.
If you need assistance with Ransomware security please give EnhancedTECH a call at 714-970-9330
Samantha Keller
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