What is the WANNACRY VIRUS?
By
Malik Barrett
ABSTRACT:
Recently Ransomware virus software spread like a bed bugs . likewise ransomware creates computer data instability. Every user is moving towards digitization. Users keep data secure in his or her computer. But what if data is hijacked. A ransomware is one of the software virus that hijack users data. A ransomware may lock the system in a way which is not for a knowledgeable person to reverse. It not only targets home computers but business also gets affected. It encrypts data in such a way that normal person can no longer decrypt. A person has to pay ransom to decrypt it. But it does not generate that files will be released. This paper gives a brief study of WannaCry ransomware, its effect on computer world and its preventive measures to control ransomware on computer system.
I. Introduction:
In the world of digitization, where every information is stored digitally, information can be accessed round the clock ,can be accessed via internet and easily retrieved at cheaper rate. Everything is done smoothly on one click, effortlessly and efficiently maintained. Digitization has improve the lifestyle of the computer users. Digitization has helped in decreasing crime if applied on whole, getting things done easily and has decreased paperwork. But still it creates a problem of security for personal and confidential information of an individual .As human beings, overtime we become more advanced in technology where in various ways benefit mankind. Also as human beings, in today’s in this modern world, where measures have been taken to improve the security level in the distributed systems hackers have found a way to crack into systems and take away information. Specifically I will discuss a virus called the WANNACRY virus. The WANNACRY virus is a ransomware virus, which means, it is one of the software virus that hijack users data and It encrypts data in such a way that normal person can no longer decrypt. A person has to pay ransom to decrypt it.
II.
a. How Does WANNACRY Work ?
For a RansomWare like WannaCry works by encrypting most or even all of the files on a user’s computer. Then, the software demands that a ransom be paid in order to have the files decrypted. In the case of WannaCry specifically, the software demands that the victim pays a ransom of $300 in bitcoins at the time of infection. If the user doesn’t pay the ransom without three days, the amount doubles to $600. After seven days without payment, WannaCry will delete all of the encrypted files and all data will be lost.
B. How Does WANNACRY Spread ?
The first infection of WANNACRY struck at around 8:24am London time on Friday. Somewhere in Europe, an unwitting computer user opened an email and an attachment to that email, a compressed zip file, allowing WannaCry into their system. Before it began to scramble the contents of that machine’s hard drive, and then later those of at least 200,000 others at hospitals, oil compani...
