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15 May 2017
 |
| Ransomware (The Total Investment & Insurance
Solutions) |
It was
coming. On March 14 this year, Microsoft released a security update which
addressed the vulnerability in the 16-year-old Windows XP operating system that
the hackers behind the massive ransomware attack exploited and created havoc in
150 countries.
The
vulnerability in the Microsoft Windows software -- exploited by
"WannaCrypt" -- crippled computers from hospitals in Britain to
police stations in India, with hackers demanding hundreds of dollars from the
users for them to regain control over their data.
Once
Microsoft released the patch for the vulnerability -- exploited by hacker group
"Shadow Brokers" after stealing a software from the US National
Security Agency (NSA) -- some Window XP users installed the update called
"Microsoft Security Bulletin MS17-010" on their desktops and
laptops.
But several
didn't.
There are
nearly 150 million computers running Windows XP operation system globally.
Those who didn't pay heed to the Windows XP patch are the ones who have fallen
prey to the world's biggest ransomware attack. The Total Investment & Insurance Solutions
Microsoft
which had discontiued security updates to its out-of-date software, has also
provided a security update for all customers using Windows 8 and Windows Server
2003, anticipating further attacks on these earlier platforms being used by
millions.
According to
the company, "customers who are running supported versions of the
operating system (Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, Windows Server
2008 R2, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012, Windows 10, Windows Server 2012 R2,
Windows Server 2016) will have received the security update MS17-010 in
March.
"If
customers have automatic updates enabled or have installed the update, they are
protected. For other customers, we encourage them to install the update as soon
as possible," said Phillip Misner, Principal Security Group Manager,
Microsoft Security Response Centre, in a statement.
Meanwhile,
"WannaCrypt" locked up machines, encrypted files and demanded
approximately $600 in Bitcoin for a recovery key.
According to
global cyber security firms, paying heed to updates can only save your data
from being put to ransom. The Total
Investment & Insurance Solutions
"Install
the official patch from Microsoft that closes the vulnerability used in the
attack. Ensure that security solutions are switched on all nodes of the
network. If Kaspersky Lab's solution is used, ensure that it includes the
'System Watcher', a behavioural proactive detection component and that it is
switched on," Altaf Halde, Managing Director of Kaspersky Lab (South
Asia), told IANS.
"Run
the 'Critical Area Scan' task in Kaspersky Lab's solution to detect possible
infection as soon as possible (otherwise it will be detected automatically, if
not switched off, within 24 hours)," he added.
According to
Subhendu Sahu, Acting Country Manager for India, FireEye, the ransomware poses
high risks to organisations using potentially vulnerable Windows machines.
"We can
certainly expect follow-on attacks. Organisations seeking to take risk
management steps related to this campaign should install the latest Windows
patches. They should also use the indicators of compromise which are associated
with this activity. FireEye has also taken steps to help secure its
customers," Sahu told. The Total
Investment & Insurance Solutions
As
investigators were working to track down those responsible for the ransomware
attack, Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith said the
governments should treat this attack as a "wake-up call". The Total Investment & Insurance
Solutions
The news led
software security providers to ramp up anti-malware software.
"Upon
learning of these incidents, McAfee quickly began working to analyse samples of
the ransomware and develop mitigation guidance and detection updates for its
customers. McAfee has subsequently provided DAT (that contain data in text or
binary format) updates to all its customers and provided them and the public
further analysis on the attacks," Ian Yip, Chief Technology Officer, Asia Pacific,
McAfee, told. The Total Investment
& Insurance Solutions
If you are a
home Windows XP user, patch immediately follow up with an upgrade. If you are
running a vulnerable system and cannot install the patch for some reason, try
doing the following:
"Disable
SMBv1 (a server component) with the steps documented at 'Microsoft Knowledge
Base Article 2696547' and as recommended previously. Consider adding a rule on
your router or firewall to block incoming Server Message Block (SMB) traffic on
port 445," said a report in the technology website Engadget. The Total Investment & Insurance
Solutions
"This
is big and set to get bigger. We haven't seen anything like this since
Conficker in 2008," Amit Nath, Head of Asia Pacific-Corporate Business at
cyber security firm F-Secure Corporation, told IANS.
The
Conficker worm infected millions of computers including government, business
and home computers in over 190 countries. The Total Investment & Insurance Solutions
Always make
sure your files are backed up.
"That
way, if they become compromised in a ransomware attack, you can wipe your disk
drive clean and restore the data from the backup. Using Cloud storage with
anti-virus scanning abilities to share files will help users to mitigate any
possible threats," suggested Anand Ramamoorthy, Managing Director, South
Asia, McAfee. The Total Investment
& Insurance Solutions
Remember
this: "WannaCrypt" probably won't work across the internet for PCs
behind a firewall or router. The Total
Investment & Insurance Solutions
"But if
a server is connected directly to the internet or a PC is on the same network
as an infected computer, it can spread quickly -- which is exactly what has
happened," the Engadget report added.The Total Investment & Insurance Solutions
