On Friday 12th May, 2017 a malware virus known as the Wanna Decryptor or WannaCry malware viruses caused massive disruption around the world. \u00a0It affected over 10,000 organizations and 200,000 individuals in 150 countries. \u00a0In the U.K., the NHS was one organisation hit, leading to\u00a0major incident procedures having to be implemented. \u00a0Large numbers of NHS computers were affected across NHS trusts and Doctors surgeries which meant\u00a0their staff could not access vital data.<\/p>\n
This article is for the benefit of our Okappy job management<\/a> customers, it explains how the virus could hit you, what happens if it does and the potential extent of the damage (your data held on the Okappy platform would not be affected in the worse case that your computers were affected).<\/p>\n Malware is malicious software that you download to your computer in most cases unwittingly. Once downloaded, it hides itself and then waits until ready to activate. \u00a0When it is activated it causes\u00a0damage to your computer by locking you out, causing your computers to become unstable and ultimately\u00a0unusable, deleting files or in the case of this virus encrypting all your files so that you cannot access them until you have payed a ransom. \u00a0Hence why this strain of virus is also known as ransomware. \u00a0Once the ransom has been paid (most likely with Bitcoins)\u00a0then if you’re lucky, the criminal behind the ransomware will provide a\u00a0key so that you can decrypt your files and access them again.<\/p>\n Computers are at risk from infection when you, or someone in your company, clicks on a link or attachment in an email or navigates to a website which contains \u00a0malware software which you then install and download.<\/p>\n The virus\u00a0could often be hidden in a CV from someone pretending to be\u00a0a prospective employer or even disguised as an email from HMRC. In the case of the Wanna Decryptor or WannaCry malware virus, if it is installed, then all the\u00a0files on your network will be encrypted which will render them inaccessible until you have the encryption key. \u00a0This could include backups held on drives such as Dropbox or files stored on google drive.<\/p>\n If you are using cloud based software such as Okappy then job, invoice or customer data would not be affected as it is not physically stored as files on your computer and therefore would not\u00a0be encrypted by the malware.<\/p>\n Ensure you and your employees don’t click on any links without first knowing what those links are. \u00a0Don’t click on attachments in emails including zip files, executable files or even images or documents unless you were expecting that file.<\/p>\n Even if someone you know sends you an email with attachments or links, be cautious\u00a0as emails can be spoofed. If you are not sure, confirm the email is legitimate by calling\u00a0the person who sent\u00a0the email (don’t just reply to the email).<\/p>\n Secondly, it is really important to keep your software up-to-date. \u00a0Malware and viruses will target weakness in your software. Vendors such as Microsoft work hard to update their software and close weaknesses as soon as they are aware of them. \u00a0Once fixed, they release a “patch” which you use to apply the fix to your own computer. If you don’t keep your software up-to-date then you won’t get these patches and you will still be vulnerable.<\/p>\n If you are using Microsoft\u00a0Windows, install the patch that Microsoft released to block the specific exploit that the WannaCry ransomware is using. You can find instructions on the Microsoft Knowledge Base<\/a>. You can also directly download the patches for Windows from the Microsoft Update Catalog<\/a>.<\/p>\n Keep your virus protection software up-to-date.<\/p>\n Back up regularly, and ensure you maintain\u00a0offline backups.<\/p>\n Consider cloud based software and ensure you use it to the fullest.<\/p>\n In the past people often felt that cloud based software was less secure. \u00a0However, companies offering cloud services, including Okappy, spend considerable time and resources monitoring their systems, monitoring the latest threats and ensuring they stay one step ahead. \u00a0\u00a0Companies, and in particular small to medium sizes businesses often don’t have these\u00a0resources or expertise which unfortunately means their in-house computers are now more likely to be\u00a0the weakest link. Sending Pdfs or emails to your customers rather than using the benefits of the Okappy network means that files are stored as physical files on you or your customers computers. \u00a0These files are at risk of being encrypted or deleted by malicious software. \u00a0Email, in particularly, is one of the major ways in which viruses spread and is one of the reasons why we developed the Okappy network<\/a>.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Wanna Decryptor or WannaCry malware virus targets a specific weakness in the Microsoft Windows Operating System so in this case, you should not be affected. However, if you have both Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac computers on your network which share files stored in the same location such as a network drive or Dropbox, then those files could still be affected and inaccessible to all your computers.<\/p>\n In general, Apple Macs are typically more secure than Microsoft Windows computers for a number of reasons. \u00a0The design of the Apple Mac Operating System is generally more secure although we are starting to see viruses and malware attacks on Apple Computers as well.<\/p>\n Historically Apple has had a much smaller market share than Microsoft which means it is more profitable for criminals to go after Microsoft Windows computers rather than Apple Macs. In addition, Apple Mac users\u00a0tend to update their software more frequently and\u00a0have the latests software whereas a large proportion of Microsoft Users still remain on\u00a0old versions of the software including Windows XP and Windows Vista as well as old browsers such as Internet Explorer.<\/p>\n For more information about this particular malware see this BBC article<\/a>\u00a0for a general overview or for specific guidance, check out Microsoft’s guidance<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact us<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>What is malware?<\/h2>\n
How do your computers get infected?<\/h2>\n
\nThe problem for small companies is that it only takes one person in your company to click on the link and all the\u00a0computers in your\u00a0company can be affected. \u00a0Once the malware is on any computer on your network then it will try and install itself onto any other computers\u00a0it can find. \u00a0This is the reason why viruses spread.<\/p>\nWhat is the extent of the damage?<\/h2>\n
What can you do to protect yourself?<\/h2>\n
\nEven when customers are using\u00a0cloud based software we find they often still save documents as pdfs or rely on emails archived on their local computers as way to keep a backup. \u00a0Unfortunately however, these files would be still be impacted by malware software such as the Wanna Decryptor or WannaCry virus.<\/p>\nI use Macs, am I still at risk?<\/h2>\n
For more information<\/h2>\n