It is no wonder that Saudi Arabia is the primary #1 target for cyber-attacks in the Middle East, and it's important to ensure that organizations in Saudi Arabia keep up to date with the latest security measurments to combat risks and ransomware threats, including the recent, terrifying ransomware WannaCry.

We will begin by giving you an overview on WannaCry ransomware – what it does and how it works. Then we will introduce you to the simple, highly-effective ways to prevent and protect against this horrible threat. Now let's get started!

What is WannaCry Ransomware?

WannaCry, WannaCrypt, WannaCryptor, or Wcry is the most severe ransomware attack so far in 2017, infecting more than 10.000 organizations in over 150 countries (including Saudi Arabia).

On May 12th, the WannaCryptor (WannaCry) ransomware family started to spread and infect thousands of computers all over the world. In just 24 hours, the number of infections has spiked to 220,000 PCs worldwide.

How Does WannaCry Work?

WannaCry mimics the cyber version of a hostage scenario as it blocks access to data on an affected computer until a ransom is paid to the hackers to free all the data.

The attack looks like this: Images appear on victims' screens demanding payment of $300 in the virtual currency Bitcoin, saying "Ooops, your files have been encrypted!"

Payment is demanded within three days or the price is doubled, and if none is received within seven days the locked files will be deleted, according to the screen message.

Believed to be the biggest online extortion attack ever recorded, WannaCry disrupted computers that run factories, banks, government agencies, transport systems and even medical sectors as it crippled the British health care systems, forcing medical treatments to be canceled or postponed for thousands of people.

WannaCry Hitting Saudi Arabia!

WannaCry has spread like wildfire in the Middle East, making Saudi Arabia a prime target as it tried to cripple Saudi Arabia's biggest telecoms Company (STC) on Monday 15 May, 2017. Thankfully, the ransomware’s attempt was immediately foiled back then.

Unfortunately, the rapid spread of WannaCry never seems to stop after the STC incident, and what happened recently could be nothing compared to what might be coming –  especially with the recurrent attacks targeting Saudi organizations every day.

How to protect yourself from WannaCry Ransomware

Ctelecoms primary goal is to help keep your businesses safe and your data secured 24/7, and today we present to you some important steps to ensure you are fully protected against WannaCry and other ransomware.

1. Upgrade your Windows systems and apply the Microsoft patch MS17-010 to fix this vulnerability, and ensure you always apply all Windows updats as soon as they are available. To get this done, you can either use the Windows automatic update or manually download the patch with the below links:

• Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008 http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/search.aspx?q=4012598
• Windows 7,Windows Server 2008 R2 http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/search.aspx?q=4012212
• Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2 http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/search.aspx?q=4012213
• Windows RT 8.1 http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/search.aspx?q=4012216
• Windows Server 2012 http://www.catalog.update.microsoft.com/search.aspx?q=4012214

For users who have Windows XP or Windows 2003, Microsoft currently does not provide patch to fix it. Please close and prohibit the use of the SMB port 445.

2. It is highly recommended to do a regular backup for your data and systems. Get the ultimate, super-fast Cloud VM backup software from here.

3. To ensure sound protection against the growing ransomware and sophisticated malware threats, we also recommend that you get Cisco Security Bundles. 

4. If you are an Office 365 user, it is important to use Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection, which has machine learning capability that blocks dangerous email threats, such as the emails carrying ransomware. You can also maximize your Office 365 security by having Microsoft Enterprise Mobility + Security solution.

If you have any concerns about how to implement the best security solution that suits your business needs, contact us now and we will be right there for you!