Were you a victim of WannaCry ransomware? (The 3:59, Ep. 227)
Were you a victim of WannaCry ransomware? (The 3:59, Ep. 227)
2017-05-15
good morning on Monday May 15th and you
are just in time for you another edition
of the 359 podcast is episode 227 on BVG
and in the house we have Joanie salesman
and Roger Chang good morning everybody
morning the crack security experts are
here to talk about ransomware
security crack actually Alfred egg is
our normal security expert but he's out
at TechCrunch Disrupt this morning so
we're gonna try to fill the shoes or to
talk about want to cry we're gonna
pretend to be experts to try to get some
questions answered and we also want to
know if you guys were affected by this
and then we'll talk about Maggie weird
story she interviewed the senator from
Hawaii Brian Schatz who is vowing to be
neutrality
news champion so we'll talk a little bit
about that and as always give any
questions live in the comments section
Ryan will pick out the best we'll get to
them in three minutes to 59 seconds from
sorry I'm a leakage s is still sorry
guys all right buckle up we'll be back
to join in the chat in just a few
minutes sent here we go in three two
welcome to the Church of 9 I'm Roger
Chang I'm Jonas Osman by now I'm sure
you've heard about wanna cry the
ransomware that's disrupted more than
100,000 organizations in at least 150
countries we first heard about these
attacks for the hospitals of UK but it's
really got blown up it's a much much too
much huger thing the hackers may
actually end up making more than a
billion dollars once all the ransoms are
collected Joan questions thoughts this
is insane right like this is and it
feels like it's getting worse well talk
to me about this at least temporary
solution that yes that only cost like 10
dollars and 96 cents yeah this is kind
of amazing just like a sort of random
developer was looking at the code to try
to see what he could do
and and try to montt trying to monitor
the actual attacks he went and he bought
this really obscure domain name and by
activating the domain that was actually
the kill switch to him to the wanna cry
they had actually rendered the code that
if this domain goes live
everything just dies and so he actually
temporarily disrupted this
huge attack on Friday unfortunately
there is a new version of patch that
came out for one a cry so there is no
kill switch anymore like it's now it's
invulnerable who patched it the the
assuming the the hacker hackers first
developed ransomware yeah um yeah just
sort of this weird thing bought the
domain for about ten bucks and sixty two
I think was the exact amount and then
they totally disrupted this this massive
multi-billion dollar scheme this evil
plot to take away but it's back up and
running so we're all screwed but yeah
it's just it's kind of crazy that it's
really ultimately like this attack so
this targets computers that are slightly
old they run an older version of Windows
right so it's like XP on XP really
computers that have those
vulnerabilities that can't be patched
that's we're screwed and this this
attack really shows like how much of our
infrastructure still runs on older
software right right like I don't know
about you but every time I go to a
doctor's office
they're running XP they're not running
anything newer I asked about that I got
upgrade what about with them so
Microsoft was at a legal executive um
that came out and was criticizing
government institutions I mean speaking
of yeah of organizations that run
usually on outdated software um so
Microsoft came out basically you know
they they chastised the government for
these especially CIA for basically
stockpiling or figure out what these
loopholes were and not telling anybody
right that's how they were able to use
these loopholes to spy on well other
folks or us I don't know uh but we're
not running Windows XP right
but the fact that you know see the CIA
knew about this for a long time and did
tell Microsoft so they compassion time
right definitely led to problems like
want to cry and I wasn't that was their
big issue yep
all right next up net neutrality is
still an issue
the FCC while the FCC is still looking
to dismantle the existing rules our own
Maggie we interviewed Brian Schatz a
senator from Hawaii who is the leading
Democrat on the subcommittee overseeing
the FCC and he in his interview with
Maggie's her vow to take up the fight
for net neutrality keep those extreme
in place yeah he also sorry he also
brought up um given that there's just so
much craziness going on because of the
Trump administration because it's such a
you know break down the barn doors yep
disrupt everything whether or not net
neutrality something that's going to
sort of become part of the noise lost
yeah I mean I think that's one of the
risks is that because there's just
there's a new controversy bubbling up
every day that net neutrality does get
lost
I think there are there are enough
people out there you know tech companies
consumer advocate groups who who have
been in this fight for a while so
they'll probably stick with it one of
the interesting things the you know the
John Oliver segment from last week
shortly after the FCC site went down the
FCC said it wasn't John Oliver was
actually botnets brian schatz actually
isn't sure about that he's actually
questioning he actually wants data for
the FCC to prove that that's great so
kind of interesting yeah it's definitely
it's because it's one of the many
partisan issues that are out there right
now but will will continue to cover it
so for more of these swords checks on
CNN Roger Tsien I'm Jerry Salzmann
thanks for listening
all right jumping right into the chat
first and foremost let's go ahead and
petition out to our listeners who out
there is still on XP who is still in the
vulnerable area not but I have this
ancient computer um that I need to get
rid of and the only reason I haven't
gotten rid of it that's on Windows and I
think it might be XP and I'm pretty sure
it is the only reason I keep us cuz all
of my speaking of mp3s earlier before we
got on to this all of my old old mp3
libraries on there so whenever I want to
burn a CD which is like maybe once a
year for a friend I have to like pull
that thing out of the closet and I did
that this weekend so the one weekend
where there's like if you're running a
really old Windows PC you are exposed to
like having your computer locked out but
the good thing is I'd be like you know
what take them what is it I won't pay
there is a laptop connected though to
the Internet yeah yeah II just oh it C
you actually it's an all-in-one it's not
even a lot of it so it's cuter but like
you could just shut off the internet
access like that once that's one way to
avoid all this stuff right that's Joe
yeah basically take out the Ethernet
port yeah and just run it is sort of
hooked up so I haven't as far as I know
I haven't been hit by this thing you
would know I was yeah your computer
would be locked up so just to be clear
like ransomware doesn't take your
information right it just locks up your
computer basically you get a little note
saying like if you want your computer be
unlocked
please saying $300 in bitcoins so our
viewers on one of the stories that we
had I don't know if it showed what the
like message looks like that you get
when you're I guess neither of the
stories that we have up let me see if I
can find guy but there's like the
picture that like there was a screen
grab that Alfred use in one of his
stories of the picture that you get um I
said I can send it to you Brian
oh yeah it's actually it's uh this this
picture ransomware wanna cry Killswitch
Engage
but I as a story yeah um but the top of
the message is Boop's your files have
been encrypted exclamation point it's so
an oculus ha ha ha
it's like oopsy and there's like a fact
like what happened to my computer oh wow
that's really yeah there may be said
this and they and they release this
patch so that there
they're ransomware can continue to
function like patches or something
they're just so like mundane that like
Microsoft has every however many times a
second video right there yeah I think
it's uh no all right guys started this
is really visually interesting for now
I'm trying to find it here I think that
one right no it's a video sorry
headlines ransomware Wanaka there's the
image right yes the image all right
let's bring it on your board an
encrypted John I'm gonna sorry on your
microphone so yeah you're right about
the innocuous message yeah oh my God
look if there's a warning if it says
payment will be raised in and there's a
countdown timer yeah I didn't realize
that was that element to it like it gets
more expensive with time so let's try to
dole out some advice about what to do in
this situation it can have been affected
so you expand it on how this is how the
ransomware really works it's just going
to lock you up and it's literally
demanding a ransom to get your
functionality back well the thing of it
is is if you're especially I mean this
is for businesses this is mostly
organizations that got that affected but
if you're like an individual that gets
hit by ransomware they add and they ask
you for like three hundred dollars in
Bitcoin like the normal person is not
going to be able like go down the street
be like I'll take $300 of bitcoins
please like that's actually a rather
complicated scenario like I don't know
how to pay like I would even know how to
pay the ransom yeah what let's talk
about Windows 7 we've already covered xp
to a certain extent will Windows 7 get
support or patches against this malware
just wants to know that's a really good
question I don't know I mean eventually
they're going to have to but as of right
now we don't have any specific
information coming out of Microsoft if
that's on the docket and everything as
long as it's unset well actually I I
would say highly unlikely since they've
sunsetted like basically all the older
versions of Windows they don't support
them anymore so I don't know if those
patches are around Microsoft's
suggestion would be to get on a new
version of Windows not stay on Windows 7
right and then exactly how does the
infection take place it's all through
email right uh yeah there's a believe
it's not entirely sure how it like worms
its way to your computer but believe
email is
one of them let's see that's kind of a
clear war how it actually works keep in
mind we are not the security experts now
we're once again let's repeat that we're
really just working off of Alfred's
coverage at this point and then let's
expand up pet up PETA I apologize if I'm
mispronouncing your name is asking if
Windows 10 is also vulnerable to this I
don't they patch this vulnerability up I
think a couple of months ago they were
alert to it patched it so I mean if
you're if you if you're running an older
or newer version of Windows you should
be fine so is this Windows and
themselves and acting ransom enticing
you to get anywhere operating that is a
conspiracy theory I don't want to gauge
it it's something we're thinking about
okay well you find out like the next
quarterly earnings Microsoft just
miraculously has got extra billion
dollars I throw in there whoops
all right so then let's do a little a
little advice you know it's very obvious
that you will know when this has
affected you as you'll get this lovely
will be able usually message yeah yeah
message it tells you how to pay up so
outside of paying up what do you do a to
recover and B to possibly protect
against if you get hit it's really hard
actually I believe even authorities will
recommend that you pay up the ransom
where which is kind of weird you know
usually even like the government you
know the government user says you don't
negotiate with terrorists exactly except
when it comes to ransomware because it's
just it's too much oh yeah exactly
but in terms of like how you could avoid
this the first place it is just it's as
simple as updating to the newest version
of Windows or just make sure you're you
you're up-to-date with Patch Tuesday
you know actually constantly that's
really all you could do outside of hope
very militantly watching over your email
yeah but don't be a fool if you are
going to stick to and don't click on
weird emails that you know you don't
recognize the address is for domains
exactly but those are other the same
contact tips that you would use to avoid
phishing attacks or basically any other
kind of security at
right I don't know if anyone else out
there got this but I got to sketch you
one from 18t this weekend which is
obvious BS look at a TP dot is or
something I don't remember what the the
domain attached to the address was but
it looked exactly like a traditional
account email letting me know that my
accounts been updated like I haven't
touched my account I know that nothing
has happened there my Wireless has
changed right now no not one iota so you
know you just got to be on the lookout
don't click gotcha we got to come up
with like a good slogan like if the
glove doesn't fit you must have quit
what can we say don't if the deep cuts
what farming it out to the chat what's a
good come up with a rhyme it doesn't
involve genitalia in some form I like
that we have to uh we have to clearly
pursue that yacht we have to have that
suitable for work this is the internet
so that has an interesting comment he
says can't you run Hydra and do a
dictionary attack on your own account to
crack the password it might take a few
days but at least you might not have to
pay now that's interesting but you're
taking a lot of risks into your own
hands if you're going to go ahead and
crack your own system temp yeah
potentially opening up even further
threats - well that is like I would
hazard to guess 99% of people out there
would not know how to do any of that
right the people that are exposed yeah
generally if you're not for the people
who are using your P probably don't know
how to do this yeah Touche however there
are a number of us who'd like to stick
to an older operating system I myself
I'm sticking to an older iOS on a backup
machine I have because of licensing and
software and firmware not wanting to get
stuck having to buy new licenses or
software that I've grandfathered in so
but that's the trade-off you have to
make though we I've what's what's the
greater risk we kind of joke about it we
have our own eternal expense reporting
system that requires us to use a you
know an older version of software that
would put us in you know would
technically be put us make us vulnerable
either to trade off its ID while your
money or do you want security so a
something everyone has to deal with
Assad is asking how badly this can
daisy-chain he says could anyone be
affected if the virus sends
from my friends email who is infected
with the virus so how does it actually
Trojan its way down not sure oh I'm not
sure how it works that if it works that
way that it like actually spreads out
like a virus or if it's a directed
attack again we are not the security
expert so but um but if your friends who
is expose send it to you and you're
somebody on a Mac system then you're
fine yes because it's not the same
vulnerable you also have to write yeah
you have to be vulnerable to begin so I
don't know if that's how it works so
like if your systems locked down like oh
yeah emails can be sent out to other
people to get locked down wait can you
guys hear that here it's the crowd of
Mac haters coming to beat down the door
they have their own vulnerability
absolutely everybody come on gotta run
with a joke Oh imagine soggy wins the
contest if it if it don't seem legit
don't click I can go with that all right
yeah I mean that's there's no genitalia
references at all there it's it that
that's the kind of thing like you can
apply that so Rector actively down the
line yeah like if you got a virus like
are you a grandmother who just got your
first Windows machine kind of like yeah
yeah I feel bad for somebody who has
been affected by this but I'm also like
come on really you know we take for
granted like certain best sort of best
practices for security like people don't
deploy those right yeah you know your
passwords probably aren't as secure as
you wanted to be like we all have our
own vulnerabilities absolutely uh PETA
is asking which security is better
McAfee or Norton personally I have more
experience with McAfee I know for a fact
that us here as employees of CBS it is
IT sanctioned that all of our systems
are on McAfee um I don't even know that
as a oh I'm kind of going with like well
the corporate guys wouldn't take any
risks I do trust our IT department as
they do know more about security than I
personally do so I'm going to favor
McAfee in this one only from again
personal experience I've actually
attended to use Kaspersky a lot I don't
know what that's all though Rob Miller
has mentioned Kaspersky I've never used
it what is your experience with it I
think it's fine you slows down your
computer like every other security
software but exit uh worth it yeah it's
generally good
although they've run into controversy
because they've got their base in Russia
now our Congress is concerned that there
are ties between the government and
Kaspersky so really which they denied
they've denied and there's no proof of
it but there's actually big controversy
about that so
yikes go figure all right well that's
probably a good place to land it for the
day we wish I could give you a little
more information but we're still kind of
like riding along in this train with
yeah there's just plenty of more stuff
coming it will be talking about want to
cry a lot this week there as we recover
from yeah the the blast zone but of
course later this week we've got Google
i/o so we'll have a lot to talk about
this way it's gonna be it's already
shaping to be a pretty hectic crazy
weeks and we look forward to having it
along for the entire ride there you go
all right it's called a day yep if you
like atha you saw our herd here check us
out on CNET our podcast is available on
iTunes tune in
sit your soundcloud feedburner and
google play music sale tomorrow tomorrow
you
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.