Doxing and ransomware were unfortunate bedfellows this weekend when we saw the unnecessary doxing of a researcher during the massive WannaCry ransomware outbreak. I’m pissed and I’m looking at you The Sun UK, The Daily Mail and The Telegraph. A security researcher using the Twitter handle @MalwareTechBlog became an accidental hero when he managed to stop the initial variant of the WannaCry ransomware in it’s tracks. This occurred when he registered the domain that the malware was apparently looking for.
The original ransomware author apparently could code as well as I can.
Hint: not well.
This was a great happenstance that he managed to stop the spread. It is fair to say that this researcher will never pay for a drink at a security conference again.
Where I get pissed is that the aforementioned fish wrappers had released the researcher’s real name and photo. There was zero reason for this to have happened. This has put him in harms way and for that I wholeheartedly say to those writers, fuck you.
Image copyright: ljupco / 123RF Stock Photo