An alert researcher, teamwork helped stem huge cyberattack

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

LONDON (AP) — The cyberattack that spread malicious software around the world, shutting down networks at hospitals, banks and government agencies, was thwarted by a young British researcher and an inexpensive domain registration, with help from another 20-something security engineer in the U.S.

Britain's National Cyber Security Center and others were hailing the cybersecurity researcher, a 22-year-old identified online only as MalwareTech, who — unintentionally at first — discovered a so-called "kill switch" that halted the unprecedented outbreak.

By then the "ransomware" attack had crippled Britain's hospital network and computer systems in several countries in an effort to extort money from computer users. But the researcher's actions may have saved companies and governments millions of dollars and slowed the outbreak before computers in the U.S. were more widely affected.

MalwareTech is part of a large global cybersecurity community, working independently or for security companies, who are constantly watching for attacks and working together to stop or prevent them, often sharing information via Twitter. It's not uncommon for them to use aliases, either to protect themselves from retaliatory attacks or for privacy.

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/an-alert-researcher-teamwork-helped-stem-huge-cyberattack/ar-BBB6J2d

Keep your software updated and do regular backups.

My computer was hit by a similar attack two years ago. I had backed up my data the day before the attack. Still it took three days of running some anti-malware software before I was able to restore my data.

[Hortensis]

1. NY Times warns of possible second attack Monday as people

return to work. Maybe we'll take our batteries out of our personal computers this afternoon, or at least one of them. Tomorrow starts early.

These guys are heroes. I know I'm grateful. Bet they're working some extremely long hours.

"Hackers said they stole the tools from the NSA and dumped them on the internet."

Many workers, particularly in Asia, had logged off on Friday before the malicious software, stolen from the United States government, began proliferating across computer systems around the world. So the true effect of the attack may emerge on Monday as employees return and log in.

Moreover, copycat variants of the malicious software behind the attacks have begun to spread, according to experts. “We are in the second wave,” said Matthieu Suiche of Comae Technologies, a cybersecurity company based in the United Arab Emirates. “As expected, the attackers have released new variants of the malware. We can surely expect more.” ...

The cyberattack has hit 200,000 computers in more than 150 countries, according to Rob Wainwright, the executive director of Europol, the European Union’s police agency.

“At the moment, we are in the face of an escalating threat,” he told the British network ITV on Sunday. “The numbers are going up. I am worried about how the numbers will continue to grow when people go to work and turn their machines on Monday morning.”