Ransomware is not that new phenomenon for me than for “the public” these days.

I am a little familiar with it from one major part of my everyday Business life.
Therefore, I view to the incidents these days with curiosity, based on a little knowledge.

Beyond the concrete results of this “attack”, I find the pattern behind several times more interesting.

In this mentioned part of my Business life, I insist on not only defining action patterns in case of abnormal situations up to “crisis”.
I insist on practicing it!

For my context, I speak in illustrating images of fire-fighters. They do not only help – they train all that little pieces of ability that are needed to help out.
Foreign knowledge condensed into documents (like checklists) will not help You out.
Only action will rescue!

Approximately 20 years ago, in my former company, we desperately begged our clients to buy backup solutions, test hardware and invest into training of the IT-administration staff. No open ear, until …

Once, clients experienced the aftermath of a missing Hard Disk, a failed server and a corrupted backup tape, once inserted and hundred times written to, they had no problems in paying the bill.

Why people always need to be hurt, until they get the point?

/Getting the link to up2U-protocol …

The definition of the sequence in up2U-protocol considers all this.
No judgement, no critics, no “finger-pointing”.

• You need the power of a group, to face the imaginable possibilities (red path).
• Once You determined what could be relevant, You can address measures to deal with it (blue path).
• When You gained experience of what happened, You can improve the blue path or open up scope via red path, additionally.

No need for headless-chicken-mode, at all.

/Reality-Check

Clients, I work with, are currently somewhere between DEFCON 3 or 2 – not in the “real” military meaning, of course.

Responsible units are alarmed during the weekend.
They monitor systems actively, did some emergency rollout and preparation tasks and now waiting until situation is cleared.
“Crisis” with no impact to mention.
Colleagues are informed, aware, trained and ready to react. They are prepared for this by constant reminding that this can happen.

For all the others, “WannaCry” is a wakeup call.
It is for getting the idea, people like me talk about for decades.

Therefore, I really welcome these incidents.
They – hopefully – show, that DEFCON 5 (“normal condition”) is nothing that is just there.
It has to be actively achieved everyday by doing a proper job, You hopefully love.

Btw., it is security, not safety. I explained that in passing and in German here.

 

In a brief:
security is preventing harm to “You” from threats originating outside and against Yours.
safety is preventing harm by doing something intentionally, but aiming for a different result.
Locking Your car is security (against unauthorized use).
Braking and steering is a safety measure for reacting on (unexpected?) situations faced in everyday traffic.

From my understanding, Maslow’s level 2 is both – security (passive) and safety (active).

/etc

I feel with, in opposition to those who originated “WannaCry”, these some people who really needed help from the NHS and are currently prevented of getting it. Hopefully, nobody will die from lacking care.

Would have been better, if responsible people did what has to be done, in the past.
But, they were not affected directly, then.

It is the way it is always. Life is suffering … and a lot more.

/famous last words

Life runs in circles. Some are smaller, some are bigger.
In the end, there is no end – only another beginning.

“Enjoy, and share if You like.”
“Feel free to make life great!”

“Likes” are welcome. Comments are appreciated.