Three weeks ago, I wrote a first article on the chance that you and I will be personally affected by a cyber attack.
The talk of the day then was the WannaCry malware which held individual computers ransom, encrypting their files until 300 euros worth of bitcoins were paid. Hospitals and other neuralgic institutions were affected. A week before, a computer failure at British Airways had forced massive flight cancellations, leaving thousands stranded in UK airports.
Today, there have been massive attacks on mainly Russian and Ukrainian companies with a similar ransomware. Apparently, bank payment actions were also halted. Not sure to what extend, though. Containerterminals of a Danish company were also massively affected, shutting down loading and unloading of their ships.
See a link to Reuters here.
Will your new TV screen be delayed in Rotterdam?
Next time, an attack may make cash withdrawals, or even worse, PIN payments impossible for you.
What if it switches off the electricity network balancing (happened to Ukraine a few years ago) thus making the electricity supply crash? And you are in the lift! Or being operated on in a hospital.
The question is not if, but when, something like this will happen somewhere near you and will affect you.
I am keeping a reasonable amount of cash at all time to cover basic needs for weeks. I also consider stocking more spaghetti.
Do you have a plan B?