Ransomware attack: Wannacry affects Google's RailWire free Wi-Fi service

Ransomware, a malicious piece of software that locks files on a system and demands for a price in order to restore the normal functionality, have been on the rise in the recent past.

WannaCry ransomware cyber-attack, which started affecting systems across the globe earlier last week, is the worst one yet. According to the security firm eScan, India is among the countries that are most affected by the prevailing cyber-attacks.

The firm recently published a report that highlights the risks that are involved while using public Wi-Fi and how to prevent maximum damage. More importantly, the company claims that Google and RailTel’s RailWire Wi-Fi network is perhaps the worst affected ISP in the country.

The report which was published on 24th May reads, “Based on the information collected from our telemetry servers, we observe that the most infected state within India was Madhya Pradesh with 32.63 per cent, followed by Maharashtra at 18.84 per cent with Delhi coming in at number three position with 8.67 per cent.”

The company further noted that RailWire, the free Wi-Fi service launched by RailTel is the most affected network from WannaCry and other ransomware attacks with a 32.14 per cent of the entire share. “We have every reason to believe that majority of the ransomware attacks which happened during the last week, within India, would have been averted had Railtel implemented the stop-gap measure of blocking SMB traffic,” eScan added in their report.

The firm emphasises on the importance of validating the internal security of public and private networks and to ensure that all consumers using such services, do so with caution.

Here are some tips recommended by eScan to stay safe from ransomware, phishing and other such cyber-attacks while using open Wi-Fi at public places:

Avoid doing financial transactions like online shopping, banking etc. while using public Wi-Fi networks

Do not share any confidential/personal information via public Wi-Fi

Use Virtual Private Network (VPN) Apps on your device to keep data secure

Do not let the device to connect automatically to public Wi-Fi

Turn off file sharing while using Wi-Fi

Connecting to unsecure networks can leave your device vulnerable

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