Published: 2017-05-15 08:07, Author: Unecom
Wannacry (Wannacrypt) is a ransomware program targeting Microsoft Windows Operating Systems. It works very similarly to cryptolocker in such a way that if infected, your files will be locked and made inaccessible unless you pay a ransom fee to the attacker.
On Friday 12th May 2017, a large cyber-attack occurred, infecting more than 250,000 computers in 150 countries across the world, the most notably affected organisation in the United Kingdom being the NHS.
How do I know if I have been infected?
If you have been infected with WannaCry, you will see an image similar to the below:
This will appear whenever you attempt to open an encrypted file on your computer.
How can I stay safe?
The most important factor in staying safe during a cyber-attack is to remain vigilant and be on-guard against phishing e-mails and unknown links during web browsing, the following steps will help:
- Check for updates within your anti-virus suite and ensure that it is fully updated.
- Check for Windows updates and ensure that your Operating System is fully updated.
- Enable pop-up blocker in Google Chrome, or Smart-Screen filter in Internet Explorer
- Download ad-block+ (Google Chrome only).
- Stay safe when browsing, do not visit unsafe websites and be wary of pop-ups and unknown links.
- Do not open any links or attachments in unknown e-mails, if you are not 100% sure about an e-mail, just don’t open it.
- Contact your IT Support team!
Our engineer(s) are on-hand to provide support to all clients, so feel free to get in touch, stay safe!