Catalan companies contribute to the development of system to prevent ransomware attacks

Two Catalan companies contributed to the development of an innovative system to prevent ransomware from hacking computers of companies around the world. The project, called SafeUser, consists of a 20-minute on-line training course in which employees working with computers learn to identify where there might be a risk of being attacked and what measures to take to avoid threats. It may seem like a simple system. However, the firms involved believe that attacks at a global level like the ‘Wanna Cry’ one in May 2017, affecting over 300,000 computers worldwide including the British healthcare service, could be avoided if more care was taken. 

“The human factor is vital to guaranteeing the security of corporate computer systems,” said Antonio Herrera, director general of one of the promoters of the course, Catalan-based TechClass Academy. “It’s true that popular antivirus software and firewalls have managed to limit cyberattacks, but hackers have found a weakness that helps them infiltrate networks: every user account or profile.”