A massive ransomware attack that has affected more than 45,000 computers just occurred over the weekend. How to protect yourself from attacks like this in the future?
What Happened?
Ransomware using the malicious software or malware named WannaCry exploited a vulnerability in Windows to encrypt a user’s data. The vulnerability in Windows was patched in March. The vulnerability exploits on older versions of Windows that haven’t been updated recently.
The malware itself uses email to spread to new devices and is specifically devastating to industries which rely on legacy systems.
Here’s what to do:
You will find a popup screen saying that you’ve been hacked.
At this point, your most commonly used files and backups are all encrypted. Don’t worry though, there’s still a chance to avoid the $300+ payment. If you can, download and install Microsoft patch MS17-010. The patch is a special patch which works on Windows systems all the way back to Vista.
How to Best Protect Your Data:
This attack is a perfect example of the need to perform updates to your devices software and operating systems often. Installing updates regularly (at least once a week) will drastically minimize the number of vulnerabilities on your server or desktop.
From there, you’ve got your other best practices security settings such as properly setting up a firewall, utilizing DDoS protection services, and more.
If you have an advanced understanding of the technology you can also look into doing things such as server hardening, setting up encryption, and changing network settings around. There are always pros who can help ensure your devices are as secure as possible!
Another important and often overlooked step when it comes to protecting yourself from future attacks is simply staying on top of the latest cybersecurity news. By keeping up with recent developments and trends in the field, you’ll have a better understanding of what may be coming and how to prepare for it.
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