Do You WannaCry from Ransomware Cyber-Attack?

• By Maria Rutkin
• 17 May
• Article

Hospitals, companies and government offices have been hit by a massive wave of WannaCry Ransomware Cyber-Attack.

The WannaCry ransomware cyber-attack that swept the internet isn’t dead yet. We have been fielding questions all week on the situation. Please be aware those businesses that use IBIS Technology​ for cloud-hosted desktops and servers are fully-protected (by design) and were not impacted by this latest scare.

Here is a demonstration of the attack.

What is WannaCry ransomware?

WannaCry exploits vulnerabilities in older Windows operating systems, including Windows XP. Microsoft issued a patch for those systems on Friday, but that didn’t stop it from hitting more than 200,000 machines in 150 countries. The malware encrypts files and then requests ransoms be paid in bitcoin.

The first targets of the attack were hospitals in the U.K., which froze computers and forced emergency rooms to close. Dozens of large institutions and companies were impacted, including the U.K.’s National Health Service, China’s National Petroleum Corporation, and Renault factories in France.

Here is a link to the FAQ to learn more: http://fortune.com/2017/05/14/ransomware-wannacry-faq/#

In other news, I was surprised to see how the media responded to ‘why’ this type of incident occurred. According to this recent interview posted on Bloomberg: “Some of these companies and institutions that have been hit have, of course, been perhaps not the most tech savvy…,” said Caroline Hyde of Bloomberg News.

In my opinion: Is that a good excuse? Not tech-savvy?

Vigilance and common sense are difficult to control in a fast-paced environment. That is why businesses need to have an IT infrastructure in place to help prevent this type of tragedy from happening.

Let’s face it. Most people don’t always take the time to update their machines. If just one employee’s computer lacks the latest security software, it can infect other computers across the network – leaving vulnerabilities for malware and other viruses to get in.

What can businesses do to protect themselves from ransomware?

Security experts say the malware that paralyzed these victims may have initially infected computers by getting employees to download via email. After that, it spread like wildfire across the entire network of computers that were linked through the Windows file-sharing system.

First and foremost, shift from on premise to the cloud-hosted desktop and infrastructure to protect your business. By design, this is a safe and secure platform intended to prevent, and more importantly, quickly recover your data.

Here are some of the benefits for switching from on premise to the cloud:

1. Reduce Risk of Data Loss: This means more security for users by backing-up data offsite – decreasing the potential for ransomware, viruses and other cybersecurity problems.
2. Ease of Use & Collaboration: Saving and accessing files through the cloud lets your staff work from the same master documents and folders – keeping you safe.
3. Improve Efficiency: After migrating to the cloud, you no longer need to worry about power requirements, space considerations or software updates. Keep your entire company focused on generating revenue and relationships, not on IT.
4. Anytime, Anywhere Access: Users may access files anytime, anywhere, using any device. No more risk of files being stored on any computer, leaving you vulnerable to problems.

As you can see, the best way to accomplish this is to engage with a Cloud IT Services company like ours. Outsourcing these IT concerns to a firm that specializes in this every day is critical to protecting you from intrusion and disaster. More importantly, contributing to the success and longevity of your business.