Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft's Telemetry Shows Petya Infections in 65 Countries Around the World (microsoft.com)
From a blog post by Microsoft: On June 27, 2017 reports of a ransomware infection began spreading across Europe. We saw the first infections in Ukraine, where more than 12,500 machines encountered the threat. We then observed infections in another 64 countries, including Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Russia, and the United States. The new ransomware has worm capabilities, which allows it to move laterally across infected networks. Based on our investigation, this new ransomware shares similar codes and is a new variant of Ransom:Win32/Petya. This new strain of ransomware, however, is more sophisticated. [...] Initial infection appears to involve a software supply-chain threat involving the Ukrainian company M.E.Doc, which develops tax accounting software, MEDoc. Although this vector was speculated at length by news media and security researchers -- including Ukraine's own Cyber Police -- there was only circumstantial evidence for this vector. Microsoft now has evidence that a few active infections of the ransomware initially started from the legitimate MEDoc updater process. A New York Times reports how rest of the world is dealing with Petya. From the article: A fuller picture of the impact will probably emerge in the coming days. But companies and government offices worldwide appeared less affected than the WannaCry attack, notably in places like China, which was hard hit in May. Reports from Asia suggested that many of the companies hit were the local arms of European and American companies struck on Tuesday. In Mumbai, India, a port terminal operated by A.P. Moller-Maersk, the Danish shipping giant, was shut after it disclosed that it had been hit by the malware. In a statement, Indian port authorities said they were taking steps to relieve congestion, such as finding places to park stranded cargo. The attack shut the terminal down on Tuesday afternoon. On the Australian island of Tasmania, computers in a Cadbury chocolate factory owned by Mondelez International, the American food company, displayed the ransomware message, according to the local news media.
Companies and individuals that choose Windows deserve what they get. An inherently insecure operating system, which they have no control over.
Companies and individuals that do not back up their data deserve what they get. Total data loss.
Companies and individuals that pay ransomware authors deserve what they get. More malware targeted at their systems.
How Inception-like.
Since we don't 'own' the OS anymore, but simply license it for our use, doesn't that put the responsibility of a malware infection squarely on the 'owner' of the OS?
Welp, I guess that's one good use for Microsoft's spyware *cough* d'ah I mean, telemetry. Now they can see how many of their customers' systems are infected with malware in real time. Sure, if you can't secure the OS, why not then grab a bucket of popcorn and enjoy the fun?
sig: sauer
Let's not bullshit or pretend that being "techie" makes it somehow better. Malware = terrorism. And yes, that swings both ways.
Actually Malware = Extortion in this instance
Build a Man a Fire, and He'll Be Warm for a Day. Set a Man on Fire, and He'll Be Warm for the Rest of His Life.
Yeah, I know, my machine got infected. I know 'cuz I got a call just the other day from a very helpful person. "Hello, I'm from The Microsoft, ok? I'm calling you about your computer, ok? Your computer is infested with the viruses, ok?" He helped me straighten it out. Cost me $300 and my machine runs a little slower now, but I'm sure it was worth it.
Oliver's law of assumed responsibility: If you're seen fixing it, you will be blamed for breaking it.
Let's not bullshit or pretend that being "techie" makes it somehow better. Malware = terrorism. And yes, that swings both ways.
Behind every act of terrorism there is political demands to enforce rules backed by threat of violence from an external entity challenging a states monopoly on violence.
Malware is generally just another criminal commercial money making enterprise. Whether it's a group of poor Canadian crackers looking to enrich themselves or multi-national corporations (e.g. Microsoft) profiting off distribution of malware.. it may be illegal or immoral yet without the political demands it is not terrorism.