5th anniversary of WannaCry cyber attacks recalls a dark milestone

The WannaCry ransomware attack turned five on May 12, 2022, since its first emergence in 2017, when over 200,000 encrypted computers across 150 countries caused up to $4 billion in losses.

WannaCry was neither the first nor last ransomware attack. It was a watershed moment for many security experts.

The attack impacted a number of organizations, including thousands of British NHS hospitals, leaving individuals in need of emergency medical care. The attack had a significant financial impact around the world, with Symantec estimating that WannaCry cost $4 billion in losses.

In an interview conducted by CyberTalk with Check Point security professionals to describe their experience of confronting the overwhelming software, Peter Nicoletti, a Check Point Software Expert, stated‘’ There’s no doubt that WannaCry was a critical wake-up call. When it first surfaced, I knew it was serious, especially since I knew that CVE (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) vulnerability was one of the top issues on our unpatched Microsoft servers’’.

‘’I remember the “fish slap” many of us felt by this zero-day attack’’, Nicoletti added, indicating the rapid and devastating spread of the virus across the protection layers of security systems bringing about catastrophic results and losses.

Ransomware groups’ approaches and tactics have evolved over the last five years. Phishing, weak or stolen credentials, unsafe remote access, and software vulnerabilities are among the most widely exploited attack vectors.

According to a study that was published in February 2022 by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, ransomware attacks target 14 of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors in the United States. These attacks continue to show in the bold headlines and cause major disruptions to businesses and their critical operations.

Deryk Mitchelson, Check Point Software, ‘’ I thankfully, had not yet joined the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK, one of the clear victims of the WannaCry attack’’ stated to CyberTalk.

Ransomware cyberattacks will maintain their heavyweight in 2022 as the most dangerous threats to cybersecurity.

These attacks are disrupting large and small businesses. Rapid ransomware cyber-attacks evolution has radically changed the landscape of cybersecurity. Unpredictable threats will require the finest possible security to safeguard enterprises.