Massive Ransomware goes global

[mapuc]

Originally Posted by ikalugin

The story is overblown.

The ransomware in question uses a known and patched vulnerability meaning that if you are a sensible person who patches his OS on time you are safe.

The dependency argument against say Microsoft would work only if this was a zero-day or some other kind of serious stuff.

This is not the first time this (ie a malware that uses a known and patched for vulnerability gets released) and it would not be the last one, as it exploits human laziness and stupidity (not patching on time).

That's true-If you install the patches that comes from Microsoft or other companies like your antivirus-provider you are almost safe.

The problem is most of the computers or software that runs a countries supplies like electricity and water, are old. Remember a news program from 2010 or something showing that a majority of the Swedish computers that make sure 80-90 % of the Swedish people had electricity was old XP and most of them wasn't patched.

Late last night and throughout the day the Swedish news paper aftonbladet, wrote-Our supply lines of electricity is in danger-And that's true, ´cause the computers that run this is old.

Then you have to add incompetent people that just can't figure out not to open files that looks not correct or click on a link in a mail. These two factors can make a country go black.

Edit

In the lower part of the TV screen, a text scrolls with a constant text.
Center for Cyber Security, urges owners and administrators to upgrade / patch their windows based systems as soon as possible

Most if not all of our system in Denmark are running on window based systems-Electricity, water etc etc.


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