First the cyber attack , then the ransom demand from companies to be able to use their platforms again, targeted by hackers.
Yesterday the National Cybersecurity Agency (Acn) detected network problems that affected various national systems (although the scope of the alarm was worldwide), some compromised by the offensive of a group of cyber-pirates , others high risk of hacking. The VMware esxi platform , used to simulate one or more operating systems on a computer for business purposes, was targeted via ransomware , a piece of malware that infects a digital device, limiting its functions until the payment of a sum of money and professional.
Alessandro Piva , director of the Observatory Cybesecurity & Data Protection of the Politecnico di Milano , explained that "the manufacturer of the system had already solved the vulnerability exploited by cybercriminals two years ago , but not all companies that use the program had implemented it ». There are several reasons, one of which is the failure to update the software . "If carried out, it reduces exposure to possible attacks and amazes how such a simple rule can still be disregarded today", confesses Piva. Although the intrusion of ransomware into systems is a problem that affects computer technicians of individual companies, the consequences of the attack can also involve citizens. «If the blockade has affected servers and computers where digital applications and services are present, offered by private companies and public administrations, it is reasonable to expect the impossibility of access or a progressive slowdown in the use of the service itself . Restoring systems will be difficult if all or part of the archives have not been saved elsewhere before the attack."
