The S2 Grupo CERT applies security measures and prevents the impact of the cyber- attack on its clients

• The team specialized in the management of computer emergencies of S2 Grupo worked with immediacy throughout the weekend, together with the main CERT of Spain, being able to apply quickly the necessary containment measures and to combat this incident with enough success.
• The company pointed out that the high specialization of its team and its experience in the management and prevention of cyber-attacks have minimized the consequences that could have seriously affected the business of its clients.
• Next Wednesday, May 17, is the Internet Day and S2 Grupo, from its blogs for companies and families: Security Art Work and Hijos Digitales, has drawn attention to fundamental recommendations to prevent, as far as possible, being the victim of a ransomware attack.

Valencia, May 15, 2017. Last Friday the largest ransomware type cyber-attack in history took place, which had effects worldwide. Given this situation, the CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) of the Valencian company, S2 Grupo, which is one of the most important in Spain, met urgently and was working throughout the weekend to apply the necessary containment measures and prevent its clients’ computers from being damaged by this virulent attack. "In an extremely serious case like the one we have experienced since Friday, it is essential to rely on a specialized service. Having a duly accredited and highly specialized team to deal with this type of incident allowed us to act very quickly and prevent possible consequences for our clients that could have had a very high impact on their business", said José Rosell, associate-director of S2 Grupo. The experience in the management of incidents of their entire team of experts and the perfect link between security and their own exploitation team, experts in the management of security systems, in the application of the urgent measures derived from an incident of this magnitude was one of the keys to success in the performance of the company. “We achieved that this global cyber-attack did not have relevant consequences on our customers because the perfect gear and specialization of our CERT team allowed to act with extraordinary speed, applying with great urgency all the pertinent security measures”,  said Miguel A. Juan, associate-director of S2 Group. Along with this, the daily work of the CERT of S2 Grupo with the main governmental CERTS, such as the CCN (National Cryptological Center), and its coordination with them has been the differentiating point that has also allowed the rapid implementation of the necessary measures to successfully combat an incident like the one experienced. May 17: World Internet Day On the other hand, next Wednesday May 17 the World Internet Day will be celebrated, which commemorates the possibilities offered by new technologies to improve the standard of living. From S2 Grupo it has been said that, while it is true that new technologies and Internet connection allow an improvement in communication that were unthinkable until a few years ago, cyber-attacks like the past one show the imperious need to use them in a secure way to protect both users and devices. In this sense, the company through its Hijosdigitales.es blog (https://www.hijosdigitales.es/es/2017/05/mayor-ciberataque-secuestro-equipos-la-historia/) and Securityartwork.es (https://www.securityartwork.es/2017/05/12/viernes-movidito-cryptolocker/) has pointed out some essential points to avoid being victims of ransomware attacks at a family and business level. With regard to families, the recommendation is:

1. Pay close attention to any file that we download, because the source of the problem always lies in the stealth installation of a malicious application.
2. Origin of the file. This can be diverse, from going attached to an email to down-loads of malicious pages or a P2P program.
3. Phones or tablets. The infection is usually caused by allowing the phone to install unofficial applications or by installing personal features in the browser.
4. Make backups. It is important to safeguard our data with periodic backups, which are stored in non-connected devices to prevent them from becoming infected.
5. Updates. Updating installed programs and applications is fundamental because they usually include security enhancements.
6. Have a good antivirus and update it periodically.
7. Never pay the ransom. By paying the ransom we are promoting more of these types of cyber-attacks and it does not give the security of obtaining the promised solution.

As for companies, the experts of S2 Grupo through its Securityartwork.org blog have highlighted that:

1. At present, there is a great dependence on information technologies.
2. It is clear that all organizations are exposed to cyber threats, regardless of their size.
3. There must be a balance between technical protections and organizational security.
4.   Reduce system vulnerabilities. As far as technical measures are concerned, it is important to keep computers with the latest level of patching so that they are more protected.
5. Raise awareness of the whole team. The importance of not opening suspicious emails should be transferred to the entire organization.
6. If the organization has systems without support from the manufacturer, it is recommended to isolate them from the network. If this is not possible, it is recommended to turn off the systems, as deemed necessary.

More information: prensa@s2grupo.es