Massive Global Cyberattack Has Ties to the NSA

An unknown hacking group that targeted several countries used NSA tools to launch a major cyberattack. Learn more and how you can protect yourself.

Security

May 17, 2017

by PSafe Newsroom

On Friday, May 12, a massive cyberattack hit worldwide, engineered by an unidentified hacker group. The Russian cybersecurity firm, Kaspersky Lab, said it recorded approximately 45,000 attacks in as many as 74 countries. The attackers used emails with links carrying ransomware, a type of malware that encrypts data, thereby, locking users out of a computer. Several entities were grossly affected, including Spain’s Telefónica, Britain’s NHS system, and FedEx. Although computers with Microsoft systems were compromised, don’t be fooled that your Android device is safe. With the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) philosophy being implemented in many companies, it’s vital to run scans and protect against hackers, like the ones that masterminded this attack. Activate Full Virus Scan now to check for any threats when you’ve clicked on a link in an email:

Full Virus Scan will check your smartphone’s files and programs that are in your device’s memory and SD card, alerting you of any breaches or viruses. Although the identity of the hackers is currently unknown, links to the NSA surfaced. A group referred to as the Shadow Brokers originally leaked the hacking tools used in the British NHS attack — these tools were stolen from the NSA last year. The hackers took advantage of organizations that failed to patch vulnerabilities in their computer systems.

Ransomware Attacks Are Increasing
The type of ransomware used in the attacks is called Wanna Decryptor, which encrypts a computer’s files and then deletes the originals. The hackers demanded $300 in Bitcoin to decrypt the files, with the price doubling after three days. After seven days, the files will not be able to be recovered.

Hackers are typically able to infect an entire system with malware and hold it for ransom by targeting individual employees at an organization. This can be accomplished through phishing or social engineering attacks — all it takes is one employee clicking on a malicious link or attachment from an email. Click here to use Anti-Hacking to protect yourself against phishing attempts on your work phone:

Anti-Hacking will also block you from malicious websites and warn you of any deceptive sites so that you don’t fall prey to malware. It is now more important than ever to protect yourself from social engineering attacks as they become cleverer and more frequent — especially if your business is a likely target for cyberattacks.Ransomware attacks, in particular, have increased by about 6,000% since 2015, according to a study by IBM.

A worldwide cyberattack of this scale is a strong reminder that not only are work or home computers at risk, but malware attacks on mobile devices are gaining as well. Be vigilant and aware, and above all else — protect all your devices, not just one.