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PHOTO:AFP/IMAGEBANK
Defense is Best Offense
Against Ransomware
By Binyamin Rose
J
ust as some infectious diseases mutate to fight
off antibiotics, cagy cyber-criminals have devel-
oped the tools to modify the viruses and worms
they unleash for computer cyber attacks, rendering the
victims computers indefensible.
That was evident during last weeks global
ransomware attack known as Petya, a worldwide
threat that crippled tens of thousands of computer
systems at banks, shipping companies, and utilities,
mainly in the US, Europe, and Asia.
Petya attacked the same vulnerability in the
Microsoft operating system that a previous cyber
From attack in May known as WannaCry targeted. The
research difference is with WannaCry, someone found a kill
switch to terminate the attack. The attackers have
weve done, now modified this, so theres no way to decrypt
very few it, and files are irretrievable after theyve been
people have attacked, said Yair Solow, CEO of CyGov, an Israeli
company whose leading members were intimately
paid to involved in the development of Israels National
unencrypt, Cyber Agency.
The Petya ransomware forced Maersk, the
and those worlds largest operator of container ships, to close
who have, terminals around the world, including one in the
found that Port of Los Angeles, for three days. It also shut
down ATM machines and the decommissioned but
they didnt still monitored Chernobyl nuclear plant in Ukraine,
get their which was forced to move to manual operation.
The cyber attacks are dubbed ransomware
information because the attackers send a message to the
back users of the computer explaining that their files
Yair Solow are locked, and demanding payment through
24 M I S H PAC H A 
the Mishpacha tab
Bitcoin in this case $300to unlock the files.
From research weve done, very few people
have paid to unencrypt, and those who have paid
found that they didnt get their information back,
Solow says.
Much of the damage caused by ransomware
attacks could be forestalled by timely downloads
of Windows updates. But many individuals
ignore notifications to download security updates
that include protective patches. Even larger
organizations that have cyber budgets and IT
teams are often too focused on the technology side
to notice other security threats.
Solow recommends a holistic cyber strategy
that includes the physical protection of buildings
that hold servers and computers, and collecting
intelligence even on ones own employees.
Some 44% of the attacks today are originating
from inside an organization, Solow says. Some are
malicious and some are inadvertent, but in some
cases, governments and companies are spending
millions of dollars to put up these big walls, and
theyre not alert to whats going on inside their own
walls.
There is also no substitute for exercising good
judgment by not clicking on a website or e-mail
attachment from an unknown or suspicious source.
There are constant battles with employees to
educate them, Solow says, citing the urgency now
that ransomware programs, once the domain of
state-sponsored terrorists, are now available for
purchase on websites for as little as $39.
Its the equivalent of a fighter jet being in the
hands of a terrorist group. It gives them the ability
to disrupt lives at a very low cost. We hope these
attacks will make people take a step back and take
a good look in the mirror, and hit the reset button
before the next cyber 9/11 hits, Solow said.
11 Tammuz 5777 | July 5, 2017