WannaCry?

The enemy will attempt to lure us into doing his bidding, to follow his destructive path - when we yield to temptation, we have to remember that Jesus has paid the ultimate price to redeem us and
gives us the tools through which we can walk in forgiveness. Romans 6 says:
5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin.
7 For he who has died has been freed from sin.

Sin brings death; surrender brings life.  The enemy will taunt us, speaking his lies into our minds; he will also tempt us, attempting to get us off course in our pursuit of righteousness.  We have to be aware of what he is doing, and that involves being well-versed in what God has done through Christ. We belong to Him; we have identified with Christ in His death, so that we might experience being raised to new life - a life characterized by triumph over sin, growing in grace, and drawing closer to Him.

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Jesus has paid the penalty for our sin - He has done it by becoming like us, but walked through life as a perfect human being.  He did not sin, so He could be the sufficient substitute for all humanity.
Hebrews 2 says:
17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

You have probably heard about it by now, and I hope you haven't experienced it.  Late last week, the WannaCry ransomware attack was launched, affecting computers worldwide.  The website, TechWorld, explains how it works;

WannaCry works by encrypting data on a computer that has been infected. It then tells the user that their files have been locked and displays information on how much is to be paid and when - payment is taken in Bitcoin.

Like most malicious campaigns, this type of ransomware could arrive as an email attachment or as a download on your computer. For your system to become infected, you'll have to click on or downloading the attachment or file, which causes the program to run and infect your computer with ransomware.

The article says that users with older versions of Microsoft Windows were most vulnerable.

USA Today reports that researchers have identified a possible culprit:

Experts at the global cyber-security firm Symantec found that earlier versions of the ransomware known as WannaCry were found on computers that also bore evidence of the cyber tools used against Sony Pictures Entertainment, as well as banks in Poland and Bangladesh's central bank— attacks that all were linked to North Korea.

Also, a researcher at Google singled out an identical code used both in the ransomware and used by the Lazarus Group, a team of hackers tied to North Korea, noted Symantec.

And, this group with a Biblical-sounding name could have stolen its cyber tools from the U.S. National Security Agency.  Again, from USA Today: "U.S. homeland security adviser Tom Bossert said Monday WannaCry was not a tool developed by the NSA to hold ransom data, but he did not address if the vulnerability was based on stolen NSA cyber tools."

The spread of the attack was curbed by a 22-year-old using the name MalwareTech, according to Forbes. By registering a domain set up by the hackers, he inadvertently found a killswitch that stopped most infected Microsoft Windows computers communicating with the criminals behind the outbreak.  Of course, now he has received plenty of media attention, with outlets attempting to do stories on him.

Another Forbes story contains a warning from MalwareTech:

And while MalwareTech confirmed the malware was still out of action Saturday, he warned the attackers will likely alter their code to remove the somewhat bizarre error and restart their ransomware campaign imminently. "This sample may have been stopped, but I'm 100 per cent sure they will learn from the mistake and try again monday. people need to be prepared," he added.

There is a practical matter of security as we consider the implications tied to this story.  It's important that all your computers have updated virus protection.   And, when you receive an e-mail from an unknown source that requests that you click on a link, don't do it.  And, according to Forbes, "victims have been advised not to pay the $300 ransom requested by the hackers, who've threatened to wipe PCs of those who don't cough up in a given timeframe."

But, in the spiritual realm, the whole concept of ransom has new meaning.  You know, since the Garden, humanity had been held hostage by the power of sin, captives of the enemy.  The hearts of all people were and continue to be infected by sin.  Someone needs to pay the ransom, if you will. We can try to do it ourselves, but the payment is insufficient.  Jesus has come to pay the ultimate price for us, to release our souls from Satan's bondage and to bring us into His glorious love and truth.  He defeated the power of sin and death - He, in a sense, activated the killswitch over it and has led us in triumph through His death and resurrection.  Jesus has completed the override of sin's power.

But, the enemy will entice us - curiosity can get the best of us, just as it did in the Garden, when he attempted to subvert God's perfect plan for Adam and Eve.  He places "links" in our lives that can lead to destruction.  If we click, if we buy in, we enter into his destructive schemes.  We have to be discerning - to know when we are tempted and to withstand the false promises of a better life that he does not have the capacity to provide.  We need a Savior Who has taken our place to enable us each day to walk in victory; if we stumble and fall, we may "WannaCry," but He provides forgiveness and restoration.