Picture this: you’re sitting at home in the dark, alone, and you hear a noise. What are you thinking? “Is someone in my home? Am I safe? How do I protect myself?” That scenario can also apply to the network for your home or business.
Recently a virus, known as WCry or WannaCry, rocked the world. The crypto-locker virus halted businesses in an instant by encrypting and locking files down. Victims received a message that read, “Oops your files have been encrypted!” Their only option was a complete data restoration, resulting in the loss of important document and files (that is, unless their data was backed up).
An attack on personal data can be disorienting and scary. We know what that’s like and want to help protect users. Simply securing your system with an antivirus program isn’t enough. This particular type of virus actually transmits using your network. It can hop between computers using open ports and shared network drives. Its only weakness, discovered purely by chance, was a website kill switch telling the virus to stop in its tracks.
Once your computer has been infected, your options are limited. However, there are ways to stop the virus from getting into your machines. Much like securing your home keeps out intruders, securing your network protects you from viruses and malware.
First Steps to Securing Your Network
- Close unneeded open ports
- Update your operating system with the latest security patches from developers
- Install all updates for your antivirus software
- Limit outside factors from influencing your computers
- Stay vigilant!
Knowing how to prevent threats from getting on your network is half the battle. Hackers have evolved the WannaCry virus into another threat known as UIWIX. Much like it’s counterpart, this virus gets in through your network and locks down your computer demanding payment in Bitcoin. Unlike the WCry virus, this one does not have a built-in kill switch. The only way to remove it from your network is to perform a full system cleaning and reset.
Securing your network may seem overwhelming. Don’t worry we’re here to help! If your system needs patching, or if you’re just wanting a security review, give us a call at (877) 907-4022. We’d love to help you anyway we can.