Well, that's an attention grabber eh?
Unless you've been living under a rock the past couple days you've probably heard about the malware that's been plaguing Windows machines.
This new malware called "WannaCry" has been encrypting folks hard drives keeping them from accessing their data.
The reality is, ransomware (malware that locks up files until someone pays the hacker money) is nothing new.
What is new is the speed and scope of the latest attack.
This attack takes advantage of a well-known security vulnerability in both Windows Client and Server software.
And that is why I wrote this article.
You see in the BAS world folks like to go as long as possible between updating their BAS.
It's bad enough that folks go and put their BAS on a public IP address to get around IT but then they just leave that machine out there unpatched, vulnerable.
There are literally thousands of these ticking time bombs waiting to explode.
Don't believe me go to Shodan and search up all the BAS that are exposed. A lot of them are running BAS software that is 2 to 4 revisions behind the current software.
If they haven't updated their BAS software do you think they've updated their operating system?
Probably not!
And here's the deal this issue goes all the way back to Windows XP!
So, here's my warning, if you're not upgrading your BAS and patching your operating system.
DO IT
Pay the couple thousand dollars (on the high-end) to get someone to patch your software and OS.
Or, be an idiot, delay, don't do it
And if your BAS catches this malware then you can have the pleasure of replacing your computer...
And for those of you who are service providers and integrators?
Call your customers, let them know about this vulnerability and go sell them an upgrade.
You are honestly doing them a favor and maybe this latest attack will light a fire under their asses.
So how do you patch your BAS?
Just for my own protection, if you go any further in these steps you are doing so of your own accord and agree to not hold me liable for anything you do to your BAS.
If you disagree with this close this post.
It's really simple.
You might even be able to do it without anyone else.
You simply press your Windows Key
Type in the word Update
And then you click Windows Update
Then you click Check for Updates
When it finds updates you will see this screen
Click Install Updates and let it install the updates.
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