Most people involved in the technology industry remember the destruction WannaCry ransomware brought to companies worldwide May 2017. Many major companies were hit, such as Telefonica, FedEx and Renault. With staff locked out of their files, the National Health Service in the U.K. was shut down, turning patients away.
This attack could have been a lot worse without Marcus Hutchins and Jamie Hankins, who worked around the clock. Hutchins found the answer he was looking for in the malware code; he registered the domain and made a kill switch.
Thankfully, it stood up to attacks and stopped the ransomware in two days.
While the world has not yet experienced another large-scale ransomware attack from WannaCry, the threat remains. Criminals continue to use ransomware on local governments, healthcare providers and other businesses at an increasing rate.
Older versions of Windows software (such as Windows XP, Windows 2007 or Windows 2008) are more at risk for attacks and should be updated to avoid threats in the future. This decreases the threat of the vulnerability in the software, known as BlueKeep.
What’s a Safe Way To Protect Your Data?
One safe way to protect your data (and save money) is to keep files backed up on an external hard drive. This way, if information is ransomed, you have a copy and don’t have to give in to hackers’ demands.
At MDL Technology, your company’s cybersecurity is our No. 1 priority. We keep data safe by providing 24/7 network monitoring and offsite backups to make sure ransomware does not affect your company’s computers. Be prepared by checking out MDL Technology’s services: https://www.mdltechnology.com.
