Countries across the globe are scrambling to learn lessons from last week’s global cyber attack, and Russia is no exception. Cyber security experts hope that the publicity from the ransomware attack may have a positive outcome by making individuals and companies pay more attention to their information security.
The ransomware dubbed “WannaCry” that attacked computers all over the world on Friday, May 12 is believed to have affected more than 200,000 computer systems in 150 countries, and Russia was one of the countries most severely affected.
This can be explained by the widespread use of outdated software in Russia, says Sergei Khodakov, director of operations within the IT cluster of Skolkovo, the international tech hub under completion on the outskirts of Moscow. Microsoft had released patches for its most recent versions of Windows back in March to fix the vulnerability exploited by the ransomware attack, but that patch did not cover the Windows XP operating system, which is no longer updated by Microsoft.
Microsoft had released patches for its most recent versions of Windows back in March to fix the vulnerability exploited by the ransomware attack, but that patch did not cover the Windows XP operating system, which is no longer updated by Microsoft.
“Windows XP, for which there was no update, is in widespread use, including in Russia, where it is used by anyone from housewives to companies,” Khodakov told Sk.ru.
As a consequence of the attack, in which companies and organizations ranging from the UK’s National Health Service to Russia’s Interior Ministry and U.S. logistics company FedEx saw their data encrypted and a ransom demanded, the issue of information security may finally start getting the attention it deserves, believe cyber security experts.
“This attack has been really high-profile, and it could be the catalyst for change in attitudes to IT systems: it could lead to an initiative [in Russia] to localize software and reduce dependence on foreign systems,” said Khodakov.
It will also result in closer auditing of organizations’ information systems, he believes.
Skolkovo’s IT cluster is home to more than 50 resident startups working in information security. These include Sezurity and KODA, which work on detecting vulnerabilities and zero-day attacks, backup tool Akronis, security monitoring services Security Vision and Rusiem, and early warning system R-Vision.
Russia set to boost cyber defences after WannaCry ransomware attackRead More
