Major Global Hack Attack: 15 Minute Series
According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) a massive Microsoft-based global cyber-attack occurred yesterday leaving vulnerable countless software applications throughout the world. The effects of this security breach went from England's National Health System to the United States' FedEx company to Brazil's social security agency.
The attacks were represented through canceled appointments, schedule changes and deletions. Those most vulnerable are companies that have not kept up with their security updates.
Russia's Kapersky Lab ZAO said that the malware has infiltrated more than 70 countries, and ironically, hit Russia the hardest.
This malware is called a ransom form of data infection because it attacks its host data and holds it demanding "ransom" to have it returned.
Known as "WannaCry" or "Wanna Decryptor" homes in on Microsoft Windows system vulnerabilities. Recently, Microsoft issued a fix-it patch on March 14, 2017, to close down the vulnerability. The push for this invasion came from the code that was recently stolen from the NSA. The NSA has declined to comment on the authenticity of the hacking source.
A Microsoft spokeswoman said in addition to the March patch they've added additional protection to its free antivirus software. Microsoft said that anyone running the patch and update will be protected. The Prague-based Avast Software said on Friday that they detected 57,000 samples of the malware.
According to the WSJ, "Fedex said it was 'experiencing interference with some of our Windows-based systems caused by malware' and taking steps to fix the problem."
According to a report from Aarti Shahani at the National Public Radio: "The problem is, once you break in, you make digital keys, you can't really control who gets them. So this attack is raising one of these fundamental issues that we talk about in the security world, about whether NSA surveillance protects people or creates unexpected damage that does more harm than good."
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Sources: Wall Street Journal, May 13-14, 2017, By Robert McMillan, Jenny Gross and Denise Roland
National Public Radio: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/12/528119808/large-cyber-attack-hits-englands-nhs-hospital-system-ransoms-demanded
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