5 Quick Tips to Avoid the WannaCry Ransomware Going Viral Across the Internet

5 Quick Tips to Avoid the WannaCry Ransomware Going Viral Across the Internet

Ransomware Security Protection in Vaughan, Brampton and Bolton, Ontario

You may have seen on the news recently that a new strain of ransomware (malicious software that locks down your files and then demands a ransom to restore access) called WannaCry was ripping through the Internet and infecting computers in high-profile organizations, including Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs, several branches of the U.K.'s National Health Service, and Spanish phone company Telefonica, just to name a few.

The WannaCry ransomware exploits a vulnerability in Windows that Microsoft discovered and issued a software patch (sometimes called an update) to correct back in March. However, many organizations apparently had not applied it to all their computers, leaving them vulnerable to being compromised.

It should be noted that NONE of our clients were hit with WannaCry. In fact, we have not had any ransomware or virus infections across our entire managed client base in the past 5 years. Why? Because we take proactive steps to ensure their systems are up to date; that old and outdated software is upgraded or replaced; that security software is in place, current and working, and that best practice security recommendations are implemented.

For Sentryon Clients: If you're a Sentryon client on a managed IT services monthly plan, you can rest easy because as one part of our proprietary SecurityFirst 7-layer protection system, we continuously monitoring your company's computers and quickly install any new software patches, including the one to prevent the WannaCry ransomware. This work is done after-hours during a maintenance windows of 6PM and 6AM, in order to not negatively impact the performance of your company network or computers. However, sometimes computers are inadvertently powered off during the maintenance window, or taken home in the case of a laptop, and as a result they miss this important maintenance window. Please reboot your computer at the end of each workday and leave it powered on overnight to ensure these critical patches get done!

Note: Laptops will need to be plugged into wall power and connected to either Wi-Fi or a wired network (or "docked" if applicable) to ensure our system can connect to them. And this also applies to any "spare" desktops or laptops which aren't regularly used or which are left powered off, as our management system cannot install patches unless the computer is powered on.

Important Tips to Stay Safe Online

The world of computing is changing and the threats on the Internet are accelerating. And while we do absolutely everything possible to protect our clients' computers and networks, with an excellent track record to show for it, unfortunately no protection is 100% guaranteed. The cyber-criminals are always working to defeat any defences we put in place, and it's has become a constant battleground fought in the shadows where you don't often see it.

This is why it's always a good idea to practice safe Internet use with these tips:

  1. DO NOT open attachments on emails from someone you don't know, or messages you weren't expecting. If in doubt, call or email the person and ask them if they actually sent the email, and what the attachment is related to.
  2. DO NOT just click links in emails, but instead hover your cursor over the link to see where it actually point to, and if it doesn't match it's likely a scam. Scam links are one of the most common tactics used to "trick" people into infecting their own computer with ransomware, malware or other viruses.
  3. DO NOT access social media websites from your work computer - e.g. facebook, twitter, etc. Social media accounts are frequently hacked, and are full of "click bait" ads that redirect to websites that can infect your computer without you knowing.
  4. DO keep your computer updated - software vendors regularly release patches (updates) for their software, sometimes to fix bugs, but increasingly to fix security vulnerabilities that have been discovered. Not installing these updates in a timely manner makes the computer vulnerable to cyber-attack, including but not limited to ransomware.
  5. DO be alert and contact your IT support if you see anything suspicious - it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to cyber-crime, so if you receive an email you're not sure about, or see any strange activity, it's always best to ask the experts.

If you are not currently on one of our Managed IT Services plans and would like a FREE, no obligation Security Audit* to see if your systems are protected, call us NOW at (416) 440-1400 or send us a message. At no cost or obligation, we’ll send one of our security consultants to your office to conduct a FREE 68-point IT Security And Performance Assessment of your company’s network health.

*To receive a FREE IT Security & Performance Assessment you must have at least 5 PCs and a server.