Who can be affected?
WannaCry ransomware exploits vulnerabilities on Windows devices, which either use older versions of the operating system or an outdated newer version. The particular vulnerability used by WannCry was found in March and a patch for it was applied to all following Windows updates. All Windows devices which have not been updated since before the patch was released are under a potential threat. For detailed information about the severity of threats on different Windows versions, visit the Microsoft Security bulletin.
How to prevent getting hacked?
First and foremost – update your Windows system to at least Windows 8 (or Windows Server 2008) and apply the latest update of the release. We strongly recommend that you consider switching to Windows 10 for your computer if you haven’t already done that. Make sure that your automatic updates are turned on whether you are on Windows 10 or older.
Also, you should always be extra cautious when you download files, especially if it is an installation file for a program or application. Only open files from trusted sources and run a virus scan whenever you can.
What to do if your computer has been infected?
One of the most popular questions is whether or not you should pay the wanted ransom if your computer has been infected by WannaCry. UK Nation Security Cyber Center advises people to not give in to the extortion, especially provided that even if after paying the amount your files do get decrypted (for which there are absolutely no guarantees), that would not remove the malware, so you might be requested to pay again. There are several guides online on how to remove the ransomware through paid anti-virus software, which you might want to try out. However, there hasn’t been a proven solution to the issue once your computer is infected.
Monday, May 22, 2017
