As stated in our previous blog, a global cyber attack that took place last Friday continues to infect machines worldwide. If you were fortunate enough to install the patch made available by Microsoft, you are no longer at risk to this attack.
Recently, anonymous malware researcher helped stop the spread of the WannaCry ransomware – however, it only stopped one version of it. Other versions can still take over your machine.
MalwareTech, as the anonymous researcher goes by, stated that they found a domain name within the ransomware that was unregistered, which he then bought for $10.69. He directed the domain to a sinkhole, a server that collects and analyzes malware traffic. What was not realized, was that the domain was actually a kill switch, a way for someone to take control of the ransomware. Essentially, the domain was supposed to be unregistered for the malware, but by registering it, they stopped any subsequent infections.
MalwareTech, a 22-year-old based in the U.K., is receiving praise worldwide for preventing a more widespread outbreak of the ransomware, but MalwareTech doesn't consider themselves a hero. Early today, MalwareTech revealed himself as British IT expert Marcus Hutchins, read the full story about Marcus here.
With the potential for another wave of attacks, please take a look at our previous blog post to learn about the ransomware, and tips on how to protect yourself.
This global cyber attack is not the only one that has happened recently. Two weeks ago, hacker TheDarkOverlord reportedly obtained and leaked new episodes of Orange Is The New Black's fifth season when Netflix did not pay them. Hackers are even going after Disney, threatening them with an upcoming Disney film that they have obtained.
The hackers are suspected to have either Pirates of the Caribbean or Cars 3. They have requested a "huge sum" of bitcoins, and it is unclear if Disney will be cooperative, and pay.
The third, and final recent attack which happened to BCE Inc.'s Bell Canada has put 1.9 million e-mail addresses and 1,700 names along with their phone numbers at risk. These were illegally accessed, and more have been threatened to be leaked, if Bell does not cooperate with the group or individual responsible.
This attack on Bell is not related to the above "WannaCry" ransomware, it is a data breach that has luckily, not compromised any financial, password, or other sensitive information. Currently, Bell is working with the RCMP cyber-crime unit to investigate, and has also advised the Office of the Privacy Commissioner.
Bell has advised its affected customers to regularly change passwords, avoid suspicious emails, and never provide any personal information. They have also begun to contact all affected customers directly to apologize.
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