Ransomware attacks could be forestalled by timely downloads of Windows updates
ON THE OFFENSIVE Much of the damage caused by ransomware attacks could be forestalled by timely downloads of Windows updates. But many individuals ignore notifications to download security updates
J ust as some infectious diseases mutate to fight off antibiotics cagy cyber-criminals have developed the tools to modify the viruses and worms they unleash for computer cyber attacks rendering the victims’ computers indefensible.
That was evident during last week’s global ransomware attack known as “Petya” a worldwide threat that crippled tens of thousands of computer systems at banks shipping companies and utilities mainly in the US Europe and Asia.
Petya attacked the same vulnerability in the Microsoft operating system that a previous cyber attack in May known as WannaCry targeted. “The difference is with WannaCry someone found a kill switch to terminate the attack. The attackers have now modified this so there’s no way to decrypt it and files are irretrievable after they’ve been attacked ” said Yair Solow CEO of CyGov an Israeli company whose leading members were intimately involved in the development of Israel’s National Cyber Agency.
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