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(CNN Spanish) - Spanish healthcare personnel are facing a pandemic that has left more than 5,400 of their staff infected, 13% out of service. And now he faces another virus ... the one that circulates on the internet and that aims to break the entire computer system of hospitals, said the deputy director of operations of the Spanish police, José Ángel González.
At a press conference in Madrid, González said that medical personnel could be the target of a massive sending of emails with a very dangerous and malicious virus.
Capture of the institutional video signal of La Moncloa, from the deputy operational director of the Civil Guard, Laurentino Ceña (i), along with the deputy operational director of the National Police, José Ángel González (d), during the press conference of this Monday at the Moncloa Palace. EFE / MONCLOA
Although right now Spanish police services confirmed to CNN that there is no record of specific attacks on hospital computers, the security forces of that country ask professionals in the sector to be alert to possible attacks as there were already in the health system British in May 2017.
So at least 48 medical centers in that country were infected with a virus called WannaCry. The virus had already attacked nearly 300,000 computers in 150 countries
In its official Twitter account, the Spanish police say that it is now NetWalker, a ransomware that is distributed by email with a header with words referring to the coronavirus.
LOOK: What is a ransomware virus and how does it work?
Ransomware is malicious software that hijacks data from the computer or a mobile device. It encrypts this data and thus prevents access to its user until the user does not pay a ransom in a short period of time.
(Credit: DAMIEN MEYER / AFP via Getty Images)
That is why the Spanish police also distributed a brochure reminding users of what they can do to protect themselves from this type of attack.
Among the tips, he warns not to open links or pop-ups or run programs of unknown origin. Do not install applications of unknown origin or that are not on official sites. Install antivirus on devices, make backup copies of our files, and update our software.
The Spanish police also alerted to the publication on social networks of more than 200 false news and lies with the intention of creating social alarm in the receivers.
The Spanish Ministry of the Interior also reported scams on the network of pages that offer miraculous products or even diagnoses of the coronavirus.
Ransomware virus
