TECHNOLOGY
“ WE MAY ONLY BE AT THE START OF A MODERN NIGHTMARE !”
KEVIN CURRAN IEEE SENIOR MEMBER AND PROFESSOR OF CYBERSECURITY , ULSTER UNIVERSITY
Wannacry ransomware attack Five years ago , the notorious WannaCry ransomware attack became one of the first examples of a worldwide cyber attack , ultimately establishing ransomware as a major cyber threat vector . Leaving a distinct mark in the technology world , the attack was estimated to have affected more than 200,000 computers across 150 countries , with total damages ranging from hundreds of millions to billions of US dollars .
Commenting on this attack , Kevin Curran , IEEE Senior Member and Professor of Cybersecurity at Ulster University , says : “ Consider the more recent attack back in May 2021 on the Colonial pipeline in the USA , which runs from Houston , Texas to New Jersey and controls 50 % of the fuel supply in North America . It revealed the damage ransomware can pose to vital national infrastructure and public services , which seem to be the main target at present as it causes the most disruption . We may only be at the start of a modern nightmare !”
Also reflecting on the cyber security space since this attack , Michael Smith , CTO , Neustar Security Services , notes : “ Newer strains have emerged and , whilst organisations may have learned from their initial failures , ransomware continues to be
cybermagazine . com 93