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Indonesia tries to fend off ransomware cyberattack
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Cyberattacks: An IT researcher shows on a giant screen a computer infected by ransomware at the LHS (High Security Laboratory) of the INRIA (National Institute for Research in Computer Science and Automation) in Rennes, France, on November 3, 2016. (AFP/Damien Meyer)
F
ollowing the cyberattack, which has hit the Dharmais and Harapan Kita hospitals, the Communication and Information Ministry has called denizens to conduct preventive action on their computer systems from the attack of similar malware.
In the release made available to the public on Saturday, the ministry's General Director of Informatics Applications, Semuel A Pangerapan, said that the attack has become a phenomenon in several countries, and it targeted critical resources.
He explained that the attack that happened in the country was considered ransomware, which locks or encrypts all files on the victim computer.
"This type of ransomware is called wannacry. It targets Windows-based computers, which have loopholes in the SMB function," he said.
(Read also: Cyberattacks in Indonesia rising at alarming rate: Officials)
He added that the wannacry would ask for ransom in exchange for restoring all files that have been encrypted. The ransom could be paid in the form of a bitcoin payment, which requires the victim to pay US$300.
The ministry has suggested several preventive actions to avoid the attack, including updating anti-virus software, updating Windows security and making back-ups of important files.
The ministry also told citizens not to panic and provided online consultation regarding the cyberattack at www.nomoreransom.org. (rdi/dmr)
