Another Major Ransomware Attack

[southern*sweet*tea]

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cyber-attack-idUSKBN19I1TD

"A ransomware attack hit computers across the world on Tuesday, taking out servers at Russia's biggest oil company, disrupting operations at Ukrainian banks, and shutting down computers at multinational shipping and advertising firms.

Cyber security experts said those behind the attack appeared to have exploited the same type of hacking tool used in the WannaCry ransomware attack that infected hundreds of thousands of computers in May before a British researcher created a kill-switch.

"It's like WannaCry all over again," said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer with Helsinki-based cyber security firm F-Secure.

He said he expected the outbreak to spread in the Americas as workers turned on vulnerable machines, allowing the virus to attack. "This could hit the U.S.A. pretty bad," he said."

Oh, yipee...

[*eponymous*]

Thanks for the heads up @southern*sweet*tea

Since Russian concerns were hit, it makes me wonder how much we blame Russia for that they don't do.

Never click links in email.  Say it a hundred times, and then do it.  Restrict emails to trusted addresses only.  Don't visit questionable websites.

[run2fun50]

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@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-cyber-attack-idUSKBN19I1TD

"A ransomware attack hit computers across the world on Tuesday, taking out servers at Russia's biggest oil company, disrupting operations at Ukrainian banks, and shutting down computers at multinational shipping and advertising firms.

Cyber security experts said those behind the attack appeared to have exploited the same type of hacking tool used in the WannaCry ransomware attack that infected hundreds of thousands of computers in May before a British researcher created a kill-switch.

"It's like WannaCry all over again," said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer with Helsinki-based cyber security firm F-Secure.

He said he expected the outbreak to spread in the Americas as workers turned on vulnerable machines, allowing the virus to attack. "This could hit the U.S.A. pretty bad," he said."

Oh, yipee...

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GOOD TO KNOW~THANKS FOR SHARING 

[a_c_green]

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@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

He said he expected the outbreak to spread in the Americas as workers turned on vulnerable machines, allowing the virus to attack. "This could hit the U.S.A. pretty bad," he said."

Oh, yipee... 

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That's "Petya." Machines that were up to date on their software were not hit by WannaCry (the earlier attacking ransomware), and Petya is similar. MS had released the relevant update for that a month or two prior.

WannaCry did hit a lot of Windows XP boxes that had been off support since 2014. Given the extent of the damage, MS released a special patch for their older, no-longer-officially-supported systems (e.g. XP, Vista, Windows 7, etc.). Here is their summary page; follow whichever paragraphs apply to the operating system that you're using: 

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/security/4025685

[rainbowcolorz]

@southern*sweet*tea and @a_c_green, and @*eponymous* -- lots of great info and advice here.  

I've copied it and will pass it along to people I know.

Thanks.