Nearly a year ago, the world became aware of a new computer virus known as WannaCry. Many institutions were affected by the ransomware. It encrypted and locked a Microsoft Windows computing system and demanded payment. It spread through a Windows file and data-sharing system that is standard on all Windows machines. Damages were estimated at $4 billion.
WannaCry only affected systems that were not following known recommended security practices. Only systems with out-of-date, un-updated or un-supported operating systems (OS) were affected.
The attack highlights the need for better oversight and visibility into the standard operating procedures of an enterprise. Microsoft created and released a patch specifically for an OS they no longer supported months before the attack, which is an extreme atypical measure to avert an issue like this. The ability to prevent the spread and infection of this virus was available to any systems administrator who was following a standard patching and update cycle, even if they were using out-of-date operating systems.
Another virus, Mirai, was responsible for creating a botnet that ultimately…
