If you don’t have any good antivirus installed in your computer, now might be a good time to start looking for one. The year 2017 was marked by a rising trend of several failures in tech security. It was such a huge deal last year that millions were affected. It brought to light once more the importance of cooperation between tech companies and their customers in the name of security. Customers should learn to live with new annoyances that tech companies put us through so that we can be sure of our security and privacy. Companies, on their part, must learn to be more tight with their testing and quality control, and show willingness to continuously improve their products not just to satisfy the customers but to ensure their safety and rights.
Here are a few examples of those dark moments in tech in 2017:
The Shadow Brokers
This hacking group was able to steal millions of NSA’s Equation Group’s secret spy tools and hacking exploits. One of the tools in question was released over the Internet, which could cause a lot of grief later on.
The WannaCry Ransomware Attack
One of the most devastating attacks in 2017 happened in May, when a ransomware attack took place, affecting millions of computers worldwide. In the UK, NHS affiliate computers were struck down, affecting thousands. In France, factories stopped working. Spanish phone companies and gas companies were affected. It was only to the brilliance and fast thinking of Marcus Hutchins that the attack was halted. The exploitation of EternalBlue was central to the WannaCry Attack and is a spy tool that came from the Shadow Brokers.
Petya/NotPetya/Goldeneye attack
Another ransomware/malware attack came just one month after the WannaCry attack. Using the same EternalBlue exploit, NotPetya was able to infect 2,000 computers all over Europe. It is suspected that since Ukraine was the most heavily affected country, the malware is a state-sponsored attack against them.
Vault 7
Following NSA’s failure to secure their tools, Wikileaks revealed that the CIA has been hacked and its lists of tools and exploits exposed as well as their illegal use of ‘zero day’ exploits.
Tech security in 2017 was disastrous. A lot of things were revealed and what we know that makes us confident and comfortable online has been shaken. And the trend is continuing this year as well. Now is the perfect time to look up cheap antivirus and alternatives to protect your PC and privacy against those who would steal it for their own purposes or just for the laughs. The terrible things that happened in 2017 must become lessons that all individuals and companies should learn from.
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