For three days last month, the WannaCry ransomware cyberattack spread across the globe with chilling speed. From Friday May 12th to Monday May 15th, it infected over 230,000 computers worldwide. The attack worked by locking files on the computers and displaying a ”ransom note” requesting a sizeable payment in Bitcoin crypto-currency to unlock them.
Major European and Asian operations were crippled by the attack including Britain's National Health Service, Spain's Telefónica, FedEx, and Deutsche Bahn.
The virus spread using an exploit of Windows' Server Message Block (SMB) protocol. Those still running older, unsupported versions of Microsoft Windows, such as Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, were initially at particular risk. Almost all victims of the cyberattack were running Windows 7.
The attack, and the fact that none of our clients were affected, highlights several of the key features of LexCloud.ca:
- Unsupported versions of software such as Windows XP are phased out in advance of Microsoft’s support expiry.
- The latest Microsoft patches are reviewed, tested and rolled out centrally so that every computer is updated, without exception.
- Best-in-class security protocols meant that the WannaCry exploit was plugged before the exploit was even made public.
While no platform can completely restrict someone from opening an email tied to an attack, LexCloud.ca clients can be happy they are using a protected system, and that IT experts are always on the job.
