The people who stopped the most dangerous computer virus of all time.
In the early hours of Friday, May 12th, a massive ransomware attack began propagating across the globe, quickly infecting tens of thousands of computer systems in over 150 countries. The global outbreak of the WannaCry virus, as it came to be known, caused widespread panic as businesses and critical infrastructure were brought to a standstill by the malicious software.
But while the WannaCry ransomware was wreaking havoc on computer systems around the world, a group of anonymous hackers were working tirelessly to stop the spread of the virus. These so-called “white hat” hackers, who generally work to fight against cybercrime, quickly reverse-engineered the WannaCry virus and released a free tool that anyone could use to protect their computers from the ransomware.
In the days and weeks following the WannaCry outbreak, these white hat hackers were widely hailed as heroes for their efforts in stopping the spread of the virus. But who are these anonymous individuals? And how did they manage to stop the most dangerous computer virus of all time?
The group of white hat hackers who stopped the WannaCry virus is collectively known as the “Shadow Brokers”. The name comes from the fact that they appeared out of nowhere in the spring of 2016, when they suddenly released a trove of hacking tools that had been stolen from the NSA.
Among the hacking tools released by the Shadow Brokers was the “EternalBlue” exploit, which was used to spread the WannaCry virus. However, the Shadow Brokers claim that they did not intend for the EternalBlue exploit to be used for malicious purposes.
In an interview with Wired magazine, a member of the Shadow Brokers said that the group had released the NSA hacking tools in order to “raise the public’s awareness” of the government’s surveillance activities. The Shadow Brokers also said that they had no regrets about releasing the NSA hacking tools, even though they knew that the tools could be used for evil purposes.
“We see people offended by [the NSA’s] actions, yet they continue to do business with them,” the Shadow Brokers told Wired. “We wanted to show that everyone is vulnerable.”
The Shadow Brokers’ release of the NSA hacking tools led to a major controversy, with some people lauding the group for their efforts to expose government surveillance and others condemning them for putting innocent people at risk.
Regardless of the controversy, the fact remains that the Shadow Brokers’ release of the NSA hacking tools allowed the WannaCry virus to spread. And if not for the quick thinking and hard work of the white hat hackers who stopped the virus, the damage caused by WannaCry could have been much worse.
So who are these white hat hackers? And how did they manage to stop the WannaCry virus in its tracks?
The majority of the white hat hackers who stopped WannaCry are part of a group known as the MalwareTechBlog. The group is led by a 22-year-old British researcher who goes by the name of MalwareTech.
MalwareTech and his team were instrumental in stopping the spread of WannaCry, as they were the ones who discovered and activated the kill switch that ultimately stopped the virus from infecting more computers.
In addition to MalwareTech, there are a number of other white hat hackers who played a role in stopping WannaCry. One of these is a researcher known as Marcus Hutchins, who goes by the name of MalwareTech.
Hutchins was the one who discovered the WannaCry kill switch that stopped the virus from spreading. However, he has since been arrested by the FBI on unrelated charges.
Another white hat hacker who played a role in stopping WannaCry is a researcher known as Matt Tait. Tait is a security expert who was previously employed by the UK’s GCHQ intelligence agency.
Tait provided valuable insight into the inner workings of the WannaCry virus, which helped the MalwareTechBlog team to stop the virus in its tracks.
These are just a few of the white hat hackers who stopped the WannaCry virus. But there are many other individuals who contributed to the effort, including those who developed the free WannaCry removal tool that was released to the public.
These individuals are all heroes, as their quick thinking and hard work stopped the WannaCry virus from causing even more damage. The world owes them a debt of gratitude for their efforts in stopping the most dangerous computer virus of all time..Resource
The religious implications of the most dangerous computer virus of all time.
When the Melissa virus hit in 1999, the world was caught off guard. This virus, which infected Microsoft Word documents, spread like wildfire, affecting millions of computers in just a matter of days. The virus was created by David L. Smith, who named it after a Florida stripper.
While the Melissa virus was not the first computer virus, it was the first to cause such widespread damage. The virus took advantage of a flaw in Microsoft Word 97 and 2000 that allowed macros to run automatically when a document was opened. The virus would attach itself to an email, which would then be sent to numerous recipients. When the email was opened, the virus would replicate itself and send itself out to even more people.
The virus caused havoc for businesses and individuals alike. Computers crashed, businesses were brought to a standstill, and people lost important data. The virus caused an estimated $80 million in damages.
Interestingly, the Melissa virus had a religious component to it. Smith included a quotation from the Bible in the virus’ code. The quotation, from Matthew 7:13-14, reads, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.”
This quotation has led some to believe that Smith was trying to send a message with the virus. Whether that message was religious or not is up for interpretation. However, the fact that the virus had a religious component to it highlights the potential for computer viruses to be used for religious purposes.
There have been other instances of computer viruses being used for religious purposes. In 2012, a virus called WannaCry was used to attack hospitals in the UK. The virus encrypted patient data and demanded a ransom be paid in order to decrypt the data. The attack caused significant disruption to the hospital’s operations and put patient safety at risk.
While the WannaCry virus did not have a religious component, it highlights the potential for computer viruses to be used as a tool for cyber-terrorists. This type of attack could be used to target a specific group or individual. For example, a virus could be created that targets people of a certain religion.
The Melissa virus was a wake-up call for the world. It showed just how damaging a computer virus can be. It also showed that computer viruses can be used for religious purposes. The potential for cyber-terrorism is real and the Melissa virus is a reminder of that.
We used malwarezero.org to write this article about most dangerous computer virus of all time. Official source.