NHS Cyber Message
After the weekend and all the news regarding the NHS, there is now a great deal of fear mongering around Cyber Attacks. Some of it legitimate, the rest is business as usual.
Summary
From last Friday, an old Microsoft exploit was taken advantage of. It combined ransomware (encrypts your data) and a worm (software that can self-replicate across a network). Most ransomware in the past tended to only affect the original machine that contracted the virus.
This is different!
Example:1
A person has an infection; they stay in their room until they get better.
Example: 2
This new iteration is like that person being on a plane or in the office and infecting everyone they came in to contact with and so on. In this case, each system would need to be shut down until they have been cleared. If one machine is left, it could re-infect the whole network again if no patches / updates or cleans have been done appropriately.
Action
If you are concerned about any vulnerabilities in your IT infrastructures, please get in contact on 023 92 482556 or email sales.team@mdinetworks.com.
Otherwise, as a matter of urgency, please follow the basics steps below:
If you have any Windows XP machines, do option 1 without delay.
- Patch all your Server’s / Laptop’s & Device’s software across your organisation. (Note, if you have left your machines on, you may well have a significant job on your hands)
- Install Sophos Intercept X on your workstations and devices with Advanced Server for your servers. (If the NHS had this, there would have been no news?).
- Make sure your backups have not been infected and working.
- Layered protection can help make sure you don’t suffer from “cat and mouse” or “whack a mole” IT maintenance.
Each day this week, I will be sending out a daily update on what the non-sensationalist situation is.
Warm regards
Matthew
