What Is The Petrwrap Ransomware Attack? What You Need To Know

Right on the heels of the Wannacry ransomware attacks, a new form of ransomware is loose on the world, shutting down major systems and making life miserable across the Ukraine and Europe. What is Petrwrap, and how can you defend yourself?

It’s not clear yet exactly who’s behind Petrwrap. No group has taken responsibility and it’s unlikely to, although it appears to be an update of an older version of a previous form of ransomware called Petya and even the update doesn’t appear to be particularly complex. It appears to have originated, at least so far, in the Ukraine, but it’s rapidly spread from there to Europe and beyond. There’s some argument over how it’s spreading, as well. Some are arguing it uses an exploit called EternalBlue, first revealed in April, but there’s some disagreement there. At least the Ukraine is taking it well:

What is clear is that the systems experiencing problems are similar to those damaged in the Wannacry attacks. These are systems running older, or unlicensed, versions of Windows, although there’s no point in exposing yourself to ransomware even if you’re likely safe from it. Right now, the best way to protect yourself remains to back up your computer consistently, especially crucial files and software, and keep your system up to date, especially with security patches. As more unfolds, we’ll know better how to fight this, but until then, that’s the best way to protect yourself.

(via The Verge