That ransomware attack

[Cudzoziemiec]

Ukrainian government and key industries, also Westminster: you have to wonder if the purpose is purely financial?

[spesh]

Ukrainian government and key industries, also Westminster: you have to wonder if the purpose is purely financial?

The attack at the weekend on the parliamentary email system was a completely different beast to today's global ransomware attack - you can't lump the two together beyond them both being "cyber".

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/25/cyber-attack-on-uk-parliament-russia-is-suspected-culprit

[Mr Larrington]

Surely these things don't specifically target anyone except those who leave their systems vulnerable to attack?

[Chris S]

Surely these things don't specifically target anyone except those who leave their systems vulnerable to attack?

They don't "target" anyone at all. This one's pernicious because once on a network, it can spread by itself, without... ahem... "help".

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

Is nothing sacred?

Queen Elizabeth vulnerable to cyber-attack

Mark Deller, commander air, said

“We are a very sanitised procurement train. I would say compared to the NHS buying computers off the shelf, I would think we are probably better than that. If you think more Nasa and less NHS you are probably in the right place. If the Chinese want to flood the market with a particular widget and they put £30m into it, one will eventually get through to the defence procurement chain. We have got people looking at stuff like this all the time.

[Ham]

Apparently this was targeted, and not for cash.

I heard reported that the malicious code was very complex, professionally written with multiple target vectors. By contrast the ransom code is slipshod, indicating lack of interest.

I wonder who would have expertise in malicious code and a grudge against Ukrainians? Can't think of anyone that fits that description.

[andrewc]

Apparently this was targeted, and not for cash.

I heard reported that the malicious code was very complex, professionally written with multiple target vectors. By contrast the ransom code is slipshod, indicating lack of interest.

I wonder who would have expertise in malicious code and a grudge against Ukrainians? Can't think of anyone that fits that description.

https://www.wired.com/story/russian-hackers-attack-ukraine/

Quite long, but interesting & scary.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

More so when you appreciate that two prime targets, the USA and the UK are both in political turmoil.  In both cases that turmoil may well have been augmented by the efforts of the Kremlin. Governments in turmoil are not going to act in a concerted fashion about anything that is not immediately necessary to stay in government.  Happy days for the Kremlin.

[spesh]

https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/vaccine-not-killswitch-found-for-petya-notpetya-ransomware-outbreak/

[Aunt Maud]

I wonder if The Maybot has been infected yet ?

[Afasoas]

Ukrainian government and key industries, also Westminster: you have to wonder if the purpose is purely financial?

The attack at the weekend on the parliamentary email system was a completely different beast to today's global ransomware attack - you can't lump the two together beyond them both being "cyber".

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/25/cyber-attack-on-uk-parliament-russia-is-suspected-culprit

Our Defence Secretary seems to think 'cyber' is a noun

So here was yet more evidence that cyber is a truly global phenomenon

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/defence-secretarys-speech-at-cyber-2017-chatham-house-conference

Why on earth the G'ment email users were not locked out of their accounts after 3 incorrect password attempts, I do not know*

*Actually I can guess, imagining scenes from Yes Minister.

[Asterix, the former Gaul.]

I wonder if The Maybot has been infected yet ?

A strong and stable attack of the brexitmeansbrexit worm complicated by a DUP contagion.  Symptoms are a weak and wobbliness.

[Mr Larrington]

Our highly-esteemed and perennially thirsty defence secretary is so in need of a prolonged consultation with the Cluebat that he wants to use the RAF to go after "hackers".  Even if they had any spare aircraft, this does not strike me as a good use of resources.

[spesh]

He never said that use of military force in response to a cyber attack on the UK was the sole option.

Though using special forces to sneak into a perp's house and leave a couple of fish fillets wrapped around the CPU heatsink in their computer has a certain appeal.

IGMC...

[thing1]

This is rather good

Hitler Reacts to Not-Petya

http://www.captiongenerator.com/587032/Hitler-Reacts-to-Not-Petya

[Morat]

Strangely enough, even my Chairman (the least technical person I think I have ever met) sent me an email saying I should do some employee testing on reaction to dodgy emails.
So after a little Googling I came up with this https://getgophish.com/ and ooh boy did poop hit the propeller.
It's a pretty funky little tool if you want to have a play with it
Just beware that people would rather be told they're bad at driving or sex than be told they really shouldn't have clicked that link. Or so it seemed last week :O

[mrcharly-YHT]

I'm not clicking that link at work. 

But I might pass it on to MrsC for use where she works. Could be useful.