Windows XP receives a security patch again but only occasionally to block Wanna Decryptor
The attack suffered with Wanna Decryptor last weekend and the waves with the two evolved versions of the worm (according to what they point out, it could have originated in North Korea) have revealed two points. On the one hand, the neglect of many companies and institutions when it comes to having security at the level required by the information they handle and, on the other hand, the lack of rigor when it comes to keeping the computer equipment updated.
A _malware_ that uses an already patched vulnerability in Windows should not spread like wildfire and should encounter more resistance.But of course, this is not a perfect world and a fact how this has revealed how much remains to be done. And the first step is to stop using outdated versions of programs and operating systems.
And one of the reasons for the success of Wanna Decryptor is that many of the infected computers were either not up to date or still using a version of Windows such as Windows XP This means that, being a version that is no longer supported, it has not received the necessary patches to be protected against threats such as Wanna Decryptor.
And the matter has been so serious that from Redmond and as an exceptional measure they have been encouraged to launch an update that, with the To help stop the infection, it patches vulnerabilities that are contained in Windows XP, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2003.An exceptional measure because in the case of Windows XP this version stopped receiving support in 2014.
And for the record that this _ramsonware_ may be just one of the many that hope to enter and attack us, the case of Windows XP being particularly serious, since it is the system they use A large part of ATMs within the banking system (these will receive updates until 2019) or a large number of public organizations and institutions.
This is an exceptional measure that should serve to make us see that companies and society in general were not (and are not) prepared for a threat of this type . A threat that has warned us: it is convenient to have updated equipment.
If in your case you still use any of the systems mentioned above you can check if you have your computer protected in the link with the Microsoft's explanation at the end of the article or within the Microsoft page listing the latest available updates.
More information | Microsoft Statement In Xataka | Wanna Decryptor: this is how the ransomware used in the cyber attack on Telefónica works
