Ministry Calls for 'Ransomware' Cyber-Attack Prevention
Jakarta. The Ministry of Communications and Informatics offers a step-by-step guide to prevent institutions from becoming victims of a "ransomware" cyber-attack that has already targeted two major hospitals.
"Offices will be open on Monday, please be wary of the WannaCry malware attack," the ministry said in a statement on Sunday (14/05).
WannaCry is a ransomware program targeting computers running on Microsoft's Windows operating system. Like other ransomware-type malicious software, WannaCry locks up files on the infected computer, encrypts the data and makes it inaccessible to the owner.
Once a computer is infected, other computers connected to the same network will be infected as well.
A pop-up window will appear on an infected computer's screen, showing instructions on how to pay a $300 ransom — the amount will double in three days — in bitcoin, otherwise the data will be wiped out.
The ministry advised employees to turn Wi-Fi routers off and disconnect LAN cables before starting their computers and move all important data to external storage or another computer equipped with the Linux or Mac OS system.
The ministry said IT technicians can update the Windows operating system's security by installing MS17-010 Patch, update antimalware programs, deactivate server message blocks — which provide shared access to files in the same network — and block ports 139/445 and 3389.
The ministry provides two contact persons for consultation: director general for information technology Aries Kusdaryono, who can be reached at 085-6723-5183, and Didien of the Indonesia Security Incident Response Team on Internet Infrastructure, who can be reached at 081-1993-6071.
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