Huge Ransomware Attack Spreads Across Globe: What to Do

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Paul Wagenseil

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Apr 11, 2014
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You're absolutely right, and I've corrected that error in the story above. It's my mistake.
 

Paul Wagenseil

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None of that will do anything to recover files encrypted by the ransomware.
 

Paul Wagenseil

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Apple devices are not affected by this attack, unless you've got a Mac running Windows. However, other forms of ransomware do attack Macs.
 

Paul Wagenseil

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Linux has had many well-documented security flaws. As in Windows, the flaws are continually being found and patched.
 

aishsri

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Very kind of you to reply back. Would also appreciate, a good program which could possibly keep my mac safe and sound from any kind of attacks as these?. or i don't need one at all as i keep regular update of os software?.

 

BruceS78

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What is wrong with large organizations that fail to update their Windows systems? Microsoft provided fixes for most systems in March and EVERYONE knows they stopped providing support for XP even before that (April 2014 to be exact). It doesn't matter whether you hate Microsoft or not, if you are a business and continue to run XP after Microsoft stopped supporting it, you are begging for a disaster. Apparently, it now has happened.
 

Paul Wagenseil

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Certainly -- we have a roundup of Mac antivirus software here: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/best-antivirus,review-2588-6.html. Yes, you do need it.
 

Paul Wagenseil

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That's certainly true of many businesses. But medical providers often have expensive equipment that's designed to last for decades yet runs software that, for various reasons, can't be updated. In many cases, that software is Windows XP.
 

Paul Wagenseil

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That applies only to Windows XP. Support for Windows Vista was similarly discontinued this past April, but in March that OS did receive the patch that would have protected it against WannaCry.

Microsoft has now released a WannaCry patch for Windows XP and for Windows 8, which is also out of extended support. You can find patches for XP and 8, as well as for Windows Server 2003, at the end of this document: https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/msrc/2017/05/12/customer-guidance-for-wannacrypt-attacks/
 
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