Major ransomware attack in progress...

From the BBC...

http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-39901382

The Uk, Portugal, US, China, Russia just to name a few. Ongoing and the numbers growing. Hold on to your skivvies boys and girls. 

People who create and spread such things should be castrated... starting the incision somewhere around about the larynx.

Things like this annoy the heck out of me, so hopefully the perps are caught and dealt the severest penalties and then some.

Before locking them down, make sure you make a current backup.

And thanks, Fuzzy.   

For whatever it's worth. BitDefender just sent this to me via email. Been using it for many years.                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

As a BD user, that's good to know.  I understand it was propagated by email attachments; if so, should be avoidable with appropriate email discipline & hygiene.

Stopped by a UK researcher at a cost of £8...

Interesting it had a 'kill switch'.

It has been alleged that WannaCry originated as an NSA exploit. If so very sloppy.

I've since learned that email was not a vector.  Method of transmission isn't clear so far; at least isn't clearly explained by BitDefender's notification.

OK, I was right. There is a second variant because the first's spread was stopped by that registering of the website.

So, now there's a second one, and I'm pretty sure there's no quick fix. So do your updates and as for emails, I wouldn't advise opening any attachments.

http://www.timesofisrael.com/in-israel-cyber-experts-joined-forces-to-help-foil-massive-assault/

I'm reading conflicting accounts as to the vector.  Some still say email attachment.  Follow Doc's advice.

I got more spam in my inbox than my spam folder. Nearly 1 in 10 I get from Make Use Of has an attachment. Delete...delete...delete. 

I don't get spam in my inbox very often, but I do get some in my junk folder on a daily basis. Most of it is unsolicited and therefore is instantly deleted.  If I didn't ask for it, I'm not interested.  I'm still careful about opening attachments with the remaining emails, but I do get the occasional notification of a transaction [and/or receipt] go into my junk folder, which I then assign to a special folder after scanning for any nasties.

I recently was getting emails from various 'women' wanting me to sign up for webcam 'performances'.  Nope, not happening, not now, not ever.  Yup, each of these emails had an attachment with the supposed details on how to see these 'women' stripping and/or performing lewd acts while naked, but I'm neither desperate or foolish enough to fall for that.

I sometimes get emails from businesses that I've dealt with before, but if I have no need to buy anything from them I just delete those as well.  It's just advertising anyhow, and I'll buy what I want/need when I'm good and ready, not because I received spam emails.

Just install PopTray, do an Internet search and you'll find it easily. I have been using it for years. You can delete emails right off the server without ever opening them and many other cool features.   

This just in from RnD: [with my special thanks, Jim]

http://mashable.com/2017/05/13/microsoft-windows-wannacrypt/?utm_cid=hp-r-1#Y4ZGsH0K1mq5

Ms has decided to be really nice and"

"Late Friday, the company posted an official notice on its site regarding the update as well as general guidance regarding the WannaCrypt attack. The update covers users on Windows XP, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2003 (the attack didn't target Windows 10, according to Microsoft). Additionally, Microsoft advises users to "use vigilance when opening documents from untrusted or unknown sources." All the way back to Windows XP, a version of Windows Microsoft stopped supporting several years ago.

This update is particularly noteworthy because the patch goes all the way back toWindows XP, a version of Windows Microsoft stopped supporting several years ago. Regarding that unusual move, Microsoft's blog post states, "This decision was made based on an assessment of this situation, with the principle of protecting our customer ecosystem overall, firmly in mind." - linked article above

Twice this past weekend I was Browser high-jacked while reading news stories.  I reported the high-jacks with website URL's to my AV vender.

Both times it was attempting to download and run a .hta file (which is an HTML file) as a fake Flash Player update.

I corrected the problem so far by first, not allowing the download, and second, by turning-off Flash Player in Edge.

My other advice(in addition to turning-off Flash Player when browsing) is do not run your computers with UAC turned-off. 

Most of these hacks today are made by corrupting Web Pages through Flash Player so even though you are on a legitimate web page you can be hijacked to a malicious web page where a malicious script will immediately run and attempt to infect your PC.

Good luck and safe computing everyone.

I use MailWasher Pro to delete e-mails before they get to my PC.