How to protect against WannaCry and other ransomware

May 17, 2017

This is a guest post from Mur Muchane, associate vice president for information technology and chief information officer. The message was emailed to faculty, staff and students:

A malicious software program named “WannaCry” has recently made news through large-scale infections in more than 100 different countries. “WannaCry” is a type of malicious software known as ransomware. It is most often downloaded as an attachment as part of a phishing email scam, and then gains access to the computer and locks the system owner out of their files.

Here’s how you can protect yourself:

• If your computer requests a reboot, please allow the reboot to happen. Microsoft continues to release security patches for affected versions of Windows – Information Systems will continue to push the patches to University owned computers as they become available.
• Set up Google 2-Step Verification to protect your email, WIN, and other WFU accounts.
• Ensure that your data is backed up.
• Be aware of phishing emails that ask you to click on a link or open an attachment, especially when you do not know the sender. Be even more cautious when that link or attachment asks you for your password. If a website does ask for your credentials, feel free to contact the Information Systems Service Desk to determine if the request is valid.
• Keep all of your personal devices such as iPads, laptops, and smartphones current on software updates.
• Be aware that some mobile applications may be susceptible to hackers and marketers so be selective when downloading apps.

Specific details on how to implement these security measures can be found here.

If you have questions concerning this message or need assistance, please contact the Information Systems Service Desk at help@wfu.edu or 336-758-4357 (HELP).