What Is Ransomware and How Did WannaCry Work?
In May 2017, millions of people worldwide saw a really scary message pop up on their screens. It was a bright red warning saying all their files were locked and they had to pay $300 in Bitcoin to get them back, or lose everything. This was the WannaCry Ransomware , and it was a major cyberattack. In just hours, it hit over 200,000 computers in 150 countries, hitting hospitals, companies, and governments. 📌 Ransomware : What's It All About? * Locks up your files * Stops you from getting into your system * Asks for money to get your files back Microsoft said WannaCry took advantage of a weakness in Server Message Block v1 (SMBv1), a way computers share files. A lot of computers hadn't updated their security, so the malware spread fast through old Windows systems. 💥 How It Spread So Quickly WannaCry spread like crazy because it could: * Move between computers on its own * Use a leaked NSA tool called EternalBlue to break into ...