As companies and individuals take stock Monday morning, the focus is turning to protecting against further attacks.
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The problem comes from older versions of Windows or those without Windows Updates, as these were not patched by Microsoft and were left open to attacks.
The ransomware locks users files and demands a United States dollars 300 payment to allow access.
Microsoft warned governments Sunday against storing computer vulnerabilities like the leaked one at the heart of the cyberattack that has crippled computers in more than 150 countries.
Becky Pinkard, from Digital Shadows, a UK-based cyber-security firm, told AFP news agency that it would be easy for the initial attackers or “copy-cat authors” to change the virus code so it is hard to guard against.
Microsoft noted the massive damage caused by the leaked cybersecurity vulnerabilities that governments held.
“Working through our Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) and Digital Crimes Unit, we’ll also share what we learn with law enforcement agencies, governments, and other customers around the world”, the software firm said. “They need to take a different approach and adhere in cyberspace to the same rules applied to weapons in the physical world”. Governments should start considering the damage dealt to civilians from hoarding cybersecurity vulnerabilities.
Former NSA contractor and whistleblower Edward Snowden echoed that criticism on Twitter.
The Indonesian government urged companies to update their systems on Monday after two hospitals in Jakarta were hit by the ransomware. “There’s no waving that away”. “It is deeply disturbing the National Security Agency likely wrote the original malware”.
Microsoft also recommends running its free anti-virus software for Windows.
WannaCry developers have prepared a Q&A section in various languages, offering infected users localised instructions on how to recover data and how to pay the ransom. He said he was able to slow down the attack when he registered a domain name he found in the code of the Ransomware.
“At this point, one’s computer would be rendered useless for anything other than paying said ransom”.
The attack occurred after the USA’s National Security Agency discovered a vulnerability in Microsoft’s software called EternalBlue.
Siewert says like anything else that’s used regularly your computer has to be maintained in order to be protected and work properly.
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Jonathan Sander, chief technology officer for STEALTHbits Technologies, called WannaCry “a Frankenstein’s monster of vulnerabilities with patches and exploits that were stolen from the NSA and published for all to see”.
