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#WANNACRY: A Happy Accident Is ‘Holding Back The Tears’ – For Now

An unfortunate truth about computer security is that would-be hackers only have to be lucky once, but data security specialists have to be lucky always. Today, it’s looking like we’re very lucky indeed – if only for the moment. If you’ve been following the stories (and the near-panic) surrounding the #WannaCry ransomware attack and have been concerned about your own systems’ potential vulnerability, the good news is that a British malware specialist’s quick thinking and good luck seems to have bought you some time. For those who don’t know, #WannaCry is a particularly malignant bit of malware currently being spread through some highly sophisticated phishing emails. When these are read and acted upon, they trigger the download of an application that proceeds to encrypt a computer’s contents and demand a 300 Euro ($329) ransom, payable in Bitcoin, for the favor of decryption. Here’s what’s made #WannaCry really worth crying about. Firstly, ...

2023-02-16T16:01:45+00:00