On May 12, 2017 a new strain of the Ransom.CryptXXX (WannaCry) strain of ransomware began spreading widely impacting a large number of organizations, particularly in Europe.
Wcry is demanding a ransom of $300 to $600 in Bitcoin (currently 1 Bitcoin is valued at ~ $1,700.00 US) to be paid by May 15, or, in the event that deadline is missed, a higher fee by May 19. The messages left on the screen say files will remain encrypted. It’s not yet clear if there are flaws in the encryption scheme that might allow the victims to restore the files without paying the ransom.
If you have yet to install the Microsoft fix—MS17-010— you should do so immediately. You should also be extremely suspicious of all e-mails you receive, particularly those that ask the recipient to open attached documents or click on Web links.
Windows systems being managed by jmrDesign LLC have the Microsoft patch installed to protect against this latest ransomware strain. However, users should use caution when clicking on web links.
[20170513]