Noida cyber cell gives tips on preventing WannaCry attack

The Centre for Cyber Crime Investigation (CCCI) of the Noida police issued an advisory for residents

In the wake of a global cyber attack by WannaCry malware in which computer systems of hospitals, companies and government agencies are being targeted by a malicious virus, the Noida police’s cyber cell has issued an advisory to residents asking them to avoid opening unknown download links on the internet and adhere to security measures.

In the past few days, computers across the world have been locked up and users’ files have been held at ransom due to a malware. (Reuters)

In the past few days, thousands of computers across the world have been locked up and users’ files have been held at ransom due to a malware called ‘Ransomware’ that takes over a computer’s operating system. Following this, it demands a ransom be paid in Bitcoin (virtual money) to let users access their data again. In most cases, the malware infects computers through links or attachments through phishing emails.

In view of this, the Noida police’s Centre for Cyber Crime Investigation (CCCI) issued an advisory for residents on Tuesday.

“You must have read the news that recently computers in many countries have been attacked by a WannaCry Ransomware that encrypts the core system files of your computer and shuts down the operating system. To protect your computer from such malicious malwares, one should be aware of the security measures and install all necessary updates,” Dinesh Yadav, superintendent of police (city), said in a press note.

He added that to protect the system from Ransomware, users must collect a backup of their entire data on an external hard disk.

“Users must update the patch MS-17010 provided by Microsoft using the source link http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/security/ms17-010.aspx. They must also enable automatic updates in their computer or laptop systems,” added Yadav.

The police have also asked residents to avoid clicking on any unknown link on websites or any suspicious emails or download links.

“The malware enters the system through phishing emails or when the user clicks on unknown links. One should avoid clicking on unknown and suspicious download links,” the SP added.