WARWICK – Vertikal6, an IT services and management company based in Warwick, released an advisory May 15 with best-practices recommendations in the wake of the malicious WannaCry ransomware outbreak that locked more than 200,000 computers worldwide over the weekend.
According to Vertikal6, the malware attack leveraged a temporary vulnerability in the Microsoft Windows operating system to enter private networks and steal files that the hackers then held “ransom” for payments between $350 and $500.
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While Vertikal6 confirmed there has been no indication of WannaCry ransomware in its client systems, the company has continued to implement the following best practices, which are also among the prevention tips provided by the European Cybercrime Centre website NoMoreRansom.org:
- Backup: Regularly backup your data so that if your system is infected by ransomware, it can’t destroy your personal data forever. NoMoreRansom.org recommends creating two backup copies – one to store in a cloud service, and one to store physically on a portable hard drive or another computer. Vertikal6 backs up all of its managed servers on a daily basis.
- Antivirus/Antimalware: A robust antivirus software that is regularly updated can protect your system from malware such as ransomware. NoMoreRansom.org advised users not to switch off an antivirus program’s “heuristic functions,” which help catch ransomware that has not been formally detected.
- Windows Updates: Install the newest version of Windows (or other operating system) as soon as it’s released. Keeping all of your software applications up to date can also help prevent system vulnerabilities that ransomware can exploit. Microsoft patched the Windows vulnerability exploited by the WannaCry ransomware in March 2017, Vertikal6 said, and has also released a patch for the outdated operating system Windows XP that users can download HERE.
In addition to the precautions above, Vertikal6 recommended that companies educate their employees on the risks associated with opening email attachments and clicking unknown links, as most malware is initiated by user action. NoMoreRansom.org also recommended avoiding suspicious file extensions such as .exe, .vbs and .scr when browsing the internet or downloading attachments.
Kaylen Auer is a PBN contributing writer.
