Windows BlueKeep: The NSA warns users against the major vulnerability of hacking in a rare opinion



[ad_1]

The US National Security Agency (NSA) has issued a rare security advisory regarding a major security vulnerability affecting Microsoft Windows users.

The malware called BlueKeep exposes older versions of Windows to cyber attacks. Microsoft and the NSA have also urged users of Windows 7, Windows XP, Server 2003 and 2008 to update their systems immediately.

Microsoft warned that nearly one million computers connected to the Internet are currently vulnerable to the "worm" BlueKeep, and that many more within the corporate networks are also exposed.


"All that's needed is a vulnerable computer connected to the Internet to create a gateway to these corporate networks, where advanced malware could spread and infect business computers," writes Microsoft in a security notice.

The tech giant has compared the risks to those of the WannaCry virus, which has infected hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide in 2017 and caused billions of dollars worth of damage.

The NSA said that there was no sign of the BlueKeep virus in the wild, but that it was probably only a matter of time before cybercriminals took advantage of it.

"It's probably only a matter of time before the remote operating code is widely available for this vulnerability," the intelligence agency wrote in a notice.

"The NSA is concerned that malicious cyber-actors are exposing us to the vulnerability of ransomware and operating packages containing other known exploits, thus increasing the capabilities compared to other un-updated systems."

The cybersecurity experts noted that the NSA's opinion had highlighted the seriousness of the risks posed by the BlueKeep virus and reinforced comparisons of WannaCry.

The impact of the 2017 virus has been far beyond the financial damage it has caused: several highly reputable organizations have blocked their computer system for weeks or even months.

The NHS was one of the hardest hit, which disrupted thousands of patients and forced some hospitals and health services to give up non-critical emergencies.

"It was reported that the bug had made vulnerable nearly a million devices, even two weeks after the release of the patch," said Leigh-Anne Galloway, head of cyber security resilience. at Positive Technologies. L & # 39; Independent.

"With this kind of numbers and criminals constantly tweaking their computer hacking methods, an event of a magnitude similar to that of WannaCry is not irrelevant."

[ad_2]
Source link