What is the Wannacry Ransomware? How to prevent Wanna Cry Ransomware?

Over the past few days, a massive cyber attack with about 75,000 computers was infected in over 99 countries by a ransomware known as Wanna Cry. What is this and how to prevent it?

What is Wanna Cry Ransomware?

WannaCry is a type of malicious code that, when penetrating a user's device, computer or computer in the enterprise system, automatically encrypts a series of files in the target formats such as documents, images. . Individual users as well as businesses will have to pay a small amount if they want to get back that data.

In terms of infection, the WannaCry malware finds the vulnerabilities and infects them inside the organization by exploiting the vulnerability disclosed by the NSA tool stolen by the hacker group The Shadow Brokers. This ransomware mainly exploits vulnerability of SMB protocol that individual organizations have not promptly patched, focusing on Win2k8 R2 and Win XP.

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This type of attack differs from the traditional use of a worm, the program that duplicates itself onto a computer system and tricks users into clicking on a malicious link.

It is estimated that the cyber attack took place on a global scale, affecting about 99 countries, including the UK, US, China, Russia, Spain, Italy, Taiwan (China), Vietnam and many other countries. 

By the end of May 13, according to TheHackerNews, the biggest ever ransomware attack, WannaCry, successfully infected more than 200,000 computers using Windows operating systems in at least 99 countries. Within the first few hours of its release, the amount of money that the hacker group behind WannaCry earned was about $ 30,000.

Not stopping, a more sophisticated upgraded version of WannaCry is WannaCry 2.0 has just been released by the hacker group and is continuing to infect hundreds of thousands of computers around the globe.

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How to check the level of infection with Wanna Cry virus

You can click on this link: https://intel.malwaretech.com/WannaCrypt.html

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How to prevent WannaCry virus

According to expert CMC INFOSEC, next week, the hacker group will see many more new variants of WannaCry as well as new and more complex malware types. 

Therefore, it is imperative that you temporarily disable SMBs and constantly update patches with Windows operating system, especially with servers. Besides, users still need to be wary of opening strange emails and files of unknown origin.

Enterprise and users can download the Microsoft hotfix, for flaws in the SMB protocol, for use in non-supported versions including Windows XP, Vista, Windows8, Server2003 and 2008.

In addition, it is necessary to regularly back up data and have plans to backup data of the business; beware of strange links, in which for businesses it's best to have a separate machine for remote employees when they suspect that mail is not secure; for individual users who always install anti-virus software on mobile phones and computers, especially specialized software for malicious code to encrypt data.

What you need to do to  prevent WannaCry virus: 

1. Immediately update any Windows operating system versions you are using.
2. Immediately update any Anti-vius programs you are using.
3. Be careful when receiving emails with attachments and strange links, on social networks.
4. Delete card information on online payment / shopping websites, .
5. Do not open links with HTA ending or links with unclear structure, links shortening links.
6. Take measures to store important data.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 07 October 2020