* Prevention Steps By NITDA On Friday, ransomware attacks hit tens of thousands of organizations in what is thought to be the biggest cyberextortion attack recorded, according to a report from The Associated Press. The attack gained attention from media largely after it impacted National Health Service operations in England. It has hit computer networks across the globe in more than 60 countries. The New York Times reported that FedEx in the United States and telecommunications companies Telefónica in Spain and MegaFon in Russia were affected. Here are things to know about the ransomware attack. What is ransomware? Ransomware is malware that locks and disables a user’s computer system and demands ransom in order for the user to regain access to their computer and the files on it. Kurt Baumgartner, a security researcher at Kaspersky Lab, told The AP ransom demands start at $300 and two hours later, increasing to $400, $500 and $600. This image provided by the Twitter page of @fendifille shows a computer at Greater Preston CCG as Britain’s National Health Service is investigating “an issue with IT” Friday May 12, 2017. Several British hospitals say they are having major computer problems Hospitals in London, northwest England and other parts of the country are reporting problems with their computer systems as the result of an apparent cyberattack. How does the ransomware attack happen? The attack exploited a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows that was patched in March but not on machines that had not been updated or patched, according to NPR. It then prompts the pop ups that tells the user their files are encrypted and can be unencrypted if they pay ransom money. Once one computer is affected, the malware spreads itself across the network. How can future attacks be prevented? Updating computer operating systems when prompted and maintaining up-to-date software is the best bet against ransomware attacks. Many groups were affected by the attacks because machines had not had updated versions of Windows or had versions that Microsoft was no longer offering patches for. * Prevention Steps By NITDA The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, on Saturday issued an emergency advice to Nigerians about a rampaging ransomware virus that emerged across the globe on Friday. In a statement issued by its Director General, Ibrahim Pantami, NITDA gave Nigerians guidelines on how to protect their personal and workplace computers from being affected by ransomware. “Should your system be infected by ransomware, isolate the system from your network to prevent the threat from further spreading. In addition, the following actions can be taken immediately: • Remove the system from Network. • Do not use flash/pen drive, external drives on the System to copy files to other systems. • Format the System completely and get fresh OS copy installed. For emergency assistance, contact NITDA Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT) on: 800-9988-7766- 5544 or e-mail: support@cerrt.ng. As a general precautionary measure, NITDA recommended that individuals and organisations should: • Regularly update their operating systems with the latest patches. • Regularly update their software applications with latest patches. • Avoid downloading and opening unsolicited files and attachments. • Adjust security software to scan compressed or archived files • Avoid indiscriminate use of wireless connections, such as Bluetooth or infrared ports. ]]>