Boeing hit by WannaCry virus

The Seattle Times reports the virus has also hit three manufacturing companies in the last six months. A lot of manufacturing equipment runs on Windows or Windows Embedded, a variant used in computer-controlled machines, which “absolutely will bring down a plant,” Jake Williams, founder of cybersecurity consultancy Rendition Infosec, told The Seattle Times.

However, according to The Seattle Times, Boeing says the virus caused little damage:

“We’ve done a final assessment,” said Linda Mills, the head of communications for Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “The vulnerability was limited to a few machines. We deployed software patches. There was no interruption to the 777 jet program or any of our programs.”

Once the Boeing cyberattack news broke, some on Twitter suggested the virus could perhaps infect an airplane’s control software and trigger a ransomware demand while in the air.

“I don’t think that’s realistic,” Williams said. “I don’t think any of Boeing’s planes or any aircraft anywhere run Embedded Windows. It’s not suitable for applications that require consistent, real-time availability without delay because lives depend on it.”
 
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