NSA Urges Microsoft Windows Update to Patch BlueKeep Security Flaw

Too many people ignore it when Microsoft suggests you update your version of Windows, so the National Security Agency is getting involved this time.

The NSA is echoing the tech company’s urging that Windows users patch the operating system to its latest update, after the security vulnerability known as BlueKeep was discovered.

BlueKeep, a vulnerability in the Remote Desktop feature of Windows, is being compared to WannaCry, a 2007 Malware program reportedly developed by North Korea that caused millions of dollars in damages and infected hundreds of thousands of computers.

“NSA urges everyone to invest the time and resources to know your network and run supported operating systems with the latest patches,” the organization said in a statement. “This is critical not just for NSA’s protection of National Security Systems but for all networks.”

Officials are especially concerned about people and organizations that use older versions of Windows, such as Windows XP or Windows 7. BlueKeep allows those machines to be corrupted and used to conduct denial of service attacks and likely more nefarious actions.

“Microsoft has warned that this flaw is potentially ‘wormable,’ meaning it could spread without user interaction across the internet,” said the NSA. “We have seen devastating computer worms inflict damage on unpatched systems with wide-ranging impact, and are seeking to motivate increased protections against this flaw.”