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The Botswana Gazette Wednesday 31 May - 06 June 2017
Evolution of
Information Technology Supplement
Wednesday 31 May - 06 June 2017
Supplement to The Botswana Gazette
Are you safe from ransomware?
Cosmas Chimombe
T
he fast changing world of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) has brought tremendous gains to both organizations and individuals, resulting in among other things a reduction in business operational costs and incredible levels of efficiency and productivity. However, the super-fast pace of technology has also dragged along some undesirable elements. The rise in tech-
nology has also seen a proportionate growth in IT related crimes like online related fraud, piracy and hacking. In recent weeks, the world has been awash with news of another form ICT related crime in the form of a ransomware called ‘WanaCrypt’ that has invaded and paralyzed operations of major businesses and government institutions in the developed world. The Wannacry malware has reportedly paralyzed the operations of the French car maker, Renault, US delivery company, FedEx, and health
institutions in the United Kingdom have also ground to a halt after vital patient information had been made inaccessible. It is reported that the Wannacry ransomware affected over 200 000 computers worldwide and about 150 countries have been seriously affected. Ransomware, as the name suggests, is a kind of malware that holds the victim’s data ‘at ransom’ and threatens to publish or delete the data if a payment is not made. According to Ishmael Lesolame of
ROI, a local computer systems service provider, the threat of ransomware in Botswana is as real as it is to any other country in the world that depends on the internet to deliver its services. “We are not aware of any ransomware attacks locally but according to media reports, there have been reported attacks at DIT but this could be by other ransomware derivates,” says Lesolame. The prospect of losing one’s valuable data can be unsettling to an or-
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ganization or individuals. how best can it be prevented? “If the network security is compromised by users opening e-mail attachments from unsolicited sources or with attachments and hyperlinks. Only open emails from sources you are familiar with. We also recommend adhering to the organization’s IT policies. It is important to keep all your system updates up-to-date and latest backups off line and ensure that they are restorable,” Lesolame advised. Using an updated software version is also seen as a sure way to protect data from ransomware. While Windows is generally seen as the main carrier of the ‘WannaCrypt’ ransomware, the Windows 10 version of the software is ‘ransomware proof’ compared to earlier versions. By running a Windows Update those with earlier versions of Windows such as Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 can shield themselves against ‘WanaCrypt. Meanwhile, those with WindowsXP, Windows server and Windows 8 can protect their systems by downloading a new patch. Should one fall a victim to ransomware should they pay ransom? Generally, there is no guarantee that the victim will access their information once the ransom is paid as a result experts recommend against doing so. Refusal to pay a ransom is also seen as a way curbing the recurrence of such crimes. “Ignore the ransom demand if you have latest backups, restore from them and beef up your security. If you do not have backups, look for antiransom tools to help recover from the attack if you can afford the downtime. Else, unfortunately, pay the ransom, get the decryption key, retrieve your data and secure it,” said Lesolame.
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