May 15, 2017

Warning of more cyberattacks on "significant scale"

@fendifille via AP

The global ransomware attack showed that 1) U.S. defenses are relatively strong, and corporate investments in cybersecurity are worthwhile; and 2) a wide range of industries are still scarily vulnerable:

  • "Global alert to prepare for fresh cyber attacks," per the Financial Times (paywall): "Businesses must brace for further cyber attacks this week on a potentially 'significant scale,' British intelligence officials have warned, less than 48 hours after the debilitating WannaCry infection swept across the world."
  • "More than 200,000 computers in at least 150 countries have so far been infected. ... There is a high probability that Russian-language cybercriminals were behind the attack." (Bloomberg)
  • "Microsoft Corp. President Brad Smith, in a blog post Sunday, said the attack is a 'wake-up call' for governments in the U.S. and elsewhere to stop stockpiling tools to exploit digital vulnerabilities."
  • "Tom Bossert, ... Trump's homeland security and counterterrorism adviser, held emergency meetings with cabinet members Friday night and Saturday morning at the White House." (WSJ)
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