The Petya ransomware worm is carrying out cyber attacks on businesses world wide.
Itech Post reported that it is now believed that Petya ransomware is covering for another “culprit” and that underneath Petya is “a kind of malware now being dubbed by some as “NotPetya” and “Goldeneye” and this new one is causing chaos around the world.
The article noted that the Petya attacks “crippled companies by locking down or freezing their computers” and that this was done by gaining access via “vulnerable Windows Server Message Block” which is used for file and printer sharing across “local networks” and Petya was also spread through “Microsoft PsExec”.
This ransomware originated in the Ukraine but spread quickly to companies in Europe through “enterprise networks” and then travelled by way of “corporate VPNs” ending its destination in computers with Windows.
The article advised that people should “download the patch created to deal with this latest cyber attack” and make sure that they have the latest updates of Microsoft Windows but those who have automatic updates are safe from attack. According to the article Users can download security updates from the list of links on CNET and should also invest in updated antivirus software as well as taking care not to “open attachments from unknown sources”. Users should most importantly back up files so that in the event of an attack they still have access to their work.