A wide spread ransomware campaign, known as WannaCry, has impacted organisations globally over the weekend. You will probably have heard about it in the media. The ransomware is spread by taking advantage of a Windows vulnerability, and seeks to seize control of computers until victims pay a ransom. To ensure your organisation is protected, It is crucial that all computers and servers have the latest Windows patches and updates installed on every Windows Computer, PC and Laptop (At the moment Apple computers not running Windows are immune from this particular attack). Your Anti Virus program must be current, up-t0-date with the latest virus definitions You must have a full offsite (cloud) backup of your data files (The IT Guys can supply for $20 per computer per month) Ideally you would also have multiple “local” backups to NAS or external HDDs that would have to be rotated periodically as any attached device during a Ransomware attack will also be encrypted. You can have the IT Guys check that this vulnerability has been patched for you (approx. 15 mins per device) or you can do this for yourself. The following plain-english, illustrated, self-help guides show how to check your devices are fully updated and what to do if they are not. How to update Windows Operating Systems If you require assistance, The IT Guys can perform checks on your behalf. For The IT Guys Managed IT customers, we are currently working to ensure patches are either completed or in progress, so no further action from you is required, however if you are worried about any of your personal devices, please talk to us. As always, we are urging all customers to be vigilant when opening emails and clicking on potentially harmful links. If you have any concerns about the security of your IT systems, please contact The IT Guys on 08 6365 5603 or email support@itguyswa.com Further reading How to protect yourself from a Ransomware attack How to protect yourself from a Ransomware attack Part 2 CRYPTOLOCKER virus still going strong. 3 more clients infected today? Opening an email from Australia Post has had 3 clients in 3 days lose ALL their data to the CRYPTOLOCKER virus :jk: