The Great Plague of WannaCry

Chronicle

On 12 May 2017 a self-spreading ransomware, using EternalBlue, an NSA exploit leaked by the Shadow Brokers, hit about 200,000 computers in 150 countries within a few days. The UK's National Health Service was among the worst affected: operations and appointments were cancelled, about 19,000 according to the National Audit Office, and some ambulances were diverted to other hospitals. The patch for the flaw it exploited had been out for two months. The US and UK attributed the attack to North Korea.

Lesson learned

It showed that unpatched systems in hospitals put patients at risk, and reopened the debate about exploits stockpiled by government agencies.

Prayer of reparation

For the patients whose care was postponed, and for the doctors, nurses and technicians who kept working with pen and paper, we ask healing and strength. Let no care ever again depend on a system left without updates. Amen.

How it is remembered

Remembered by disabling SMBv1, installing security updates even on the oldest systems and preparing wards to work without computers.

Technical record

A ransomware worm spread through EternalBlue, an NSA exploit leaked by the Shadow Brokers, and hit about 200,000 computers in 150 countries within a few days. The UK's NHS was among the worst affected: operations and appointments were cancelled and some ambulances diverted. The US and UK attributed the attack to North Korea.