These hackers and ransomware are wreaking havoc on businesses and institutions.

What is perplexing to me, is the fact that this last exploit was directed at Windows XP (not deployed here since 2007), Windows 8 (never deployed here) and Windows Server 2003 (not deployed here since 2008), all old systems that even a small firm like mine no longer has deployed.

NSA discovered the exploit of these systems, but instead of notifying Microsoft of it, they developed a tool to take advantage of the flaw. Then, the NSA tool was stolen (supposedly this past March) and made available to hackers. At least this is what I’ve gathered from different reporting on the outbreak that began last Friday.

Rest assured that none of our systems were affected or compromised. We have multiple layers of protection in place to prevent such a debacle. I immediately received assurances from two separate security firms that we were protected, even if we had old systems still in operation.