News >> IMPORTANT SECURITY ADVICE15-05-2017

With the highly publicised global ransomware attack over the weekend we thought we would provide some information in addition to the GCHQ advice we posted over the weekend on our social media.

All of us here at Broadcast Radio have taken steps to make sure our businesses have not been affected by these problems, and we would like to offer the following advice:
You may be vunerable to these problems, reported over the weekend and you should Windows Update your PC's immediately. (Keep performing updates and reboots until no new ones show up in the list).A security patch was issued by Microsoft 3 months ago to fix this vunerability, so if you have updated your Operating systems in the last 3 months, you should be OK. However you should still perform Windows updates today as soon as possible. 

Remember that ANY Operating system older than Windows 10 / Windows 10 IOT / Server 2016 might be at risk. Even if your Playout system is NOT connected to the Internet, but you have a machine, such as a newsroom terminal, or traffic / scheduling pc, this can still be a way for ransomware or viruses into your network. 
If you have any remote users (you should use a VPN connection into the system so you can employ proper security policies).For Windows XP users, Microsoft have released a special patch, and you should obtain this directly from a Microsoft. However they have ended official support for many products, so you should not expect them to release patches in the future. 

If you are still using legacy machines (XP / Vista / Win8 / Server 2003 / Server 2008 / Server 2012) now might be the time to think about an upgrade to a newer machine. 
If the PC's are powerful enough for your needs and you are just worried about the OS, please obtain advice from us about the ramifications. There can often be hidden problems with hardware compatibility and Broadcast Radio have spent many years in finding the best solutions for our customers. 

We spent many years making sure each new OS version is compatible with our product range, and we fully support Win10 (32/64bit), Win10 IOT (for SmartSign Lite) and Server 2016 for backend systems. 

Remember to change any default Administrator level usernames / passwords - this is not restricted to our software or PC's, but also things like Internet routers, audio equipment that has a web interface, etc. 

We are not trying to scare you, but the events of this weekend should not be taken lightly and now is a good time to review your security policies. 
If you are unsure, please feel free to contact us for the best information regarding your specific concerns. We may well experience higher than normal call volumes over the next few days, so please be patient with our teams.