This post is to alert you to the cyber attack that happened on Friday.
The attack was worldwide and “The virus exploits a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows software, first identified by the US National Security Agency, experts have said.”
Please continue reading no matter what system you run
In general…
- NEVER open suspicious looking email
- NEVER never never, click a link in a suspicious email
- Make sure your system is always up to date (allow updates to happen in the background)
- Make sure you are always running ANTI VIRUS software
At this minute, for this attack, please do the following…
Advice from the NCSC.
Companies can undertake three simple steps which are also set out on the NCSC website and can be summarised as follows:
- Keep your organisation’s security software patches up to date
- Use proper antivirus software services
- Most importantly for ransomware, back up the data that matters to you, because you can’t be held to ransom for data you hold somewhere else.
Find the guidance here for business.
Home users and small businesses can take the following steps to protect themselves:
- Run Windows Update
- Make sure your antivirus product is up to date and run a scan – if you don’t have one install one of the free trial versions from a reputable vendor
- If you have not done so before, this is a good time to think about backing important data up – you can’t be held to ransom if you’ve got the data somewhere else.
More info
National Cyber Security Centre (MCSC) website >
NCSC guidance on Ransomware >
More about the WannaCry! attack here >