You have likely heard about a new form of cyberattack which utilizes a threat called ransomware. The WannaCry/WanaCrypto 2.0 worm is exploiting Windows 7 computers which have not installed a Microsoft patch that was released in March.
When the virus acts on a computer it encrypts (scrambles) files on the harddrive and asks for a ransom in order to de-crypt them. Once files are encrypted they cannot be read.
The simplest remedy to the threat is to make sure your computer is up to date on Windows patches. At Williams we also have Sophos anti-virus software which has definitions to detect the virus.
Please verify your Windows computer is up to date:
Click on the Start menu: All Programs: Windows Update
If you have updates pending please install them and let the computer reboot after.
You can also check that your Sophos anti-virus is up to date by right-clicking the Sophos shield in the taskbar and choosing Update Now.
Analysis suggests that this malware most frequently spreads via PDF documents sent within emails to victims. Therefore, please exercise additional caution when opening or receiving any attachment sent to you via email. If you are unsure of the sender or are not expecting a document that was sent to you please send it to [email protected] so we can analyse it.
For more details on the vulnerability visit:
https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/security/ms17-010.aspx
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