WannaCry Ransomware: Public Hasn't Lost Trust In Microsoft Despite Massive Attack

In the wake of the massive ransomware attack called WannaCry that infected hundreds of thousands of computers in 150 countries, the public has not lost faith in Microsoft even though its operating system was the primary target of the attack.

A survey conducted by Morning Consult indicates 83 percent of people viewed Microsoft favorably as of Sunday, several weeks after the spread of the WannaCry ransomware attack. That figure is essentially unchanged from the long-term trend, Morning Consult reported Wednesday.

Read: WannaCrypt Ransomware Windows Patch: Microsoft Tells Government To Stop Hoarding Security Vulnerabilities

Thirty-nine percent of respondents to the survey said the breach would have no effect on a decision to purchase Microsoft products in the future, compared to just a quarter of people who said the attack made them less likely to buy from the computing giant.

Despite Microsoft maintaining a relatively positive image in the wake of the global attack that almost exclusively affected Microsoft systems, 57 percent of people expressed concern about using Microsoft products in the future because of vulnerabilities.

It is unclear what percentage of those polled were aware Microsoft had released a patch in March for the vulnerability that allowed the WannaCry ransomware to spread — nearly two full months before the attack was set loose on computer systems around the world.

Microsoft was unaware of the vulnerability until the U.S. National Security Agency disclosed it to the company. Prior to that, the government agency had used the vulnerability for at least five years. It only disclosed the exploit after it was stolen from them by an anonymous hacking group known as the Shadow Brokers.

Read: WannaCry Ransomware Attack: NSA Disclosed Vulnerability To Microsoft After Learning It Was Stolen By Shadow Brokers

In the days following the initial wave of the WannaCry attack, Brad Smith, Microsoft president and chief legal office, called for governments to stop hoarding exploits and security holes for their own use and encouraged them to start disclosing the vulnerabilities. The company compared the stolen exploit used to spread WannaCry to the theft of Tomahawk missiles from the U.S. military.

Smith also reiterated Microsoft’s belief there needs to be a “Digital Geneva Convention” to help regulate actions in cyberspace. The company pushed for a requirement for governments to disclose exploits so companies can protect users rather than allowing the vulnerability to exist without a fix in place and putting more people at risk.

The concern about using Microsoft products in the future may not reflect on the company directly as much as it reflects the overall concern many people have about staying safe online.

Morning Consult found more than two-thirds of respondents — 68 percent — have security software of some sort installed on their computers, and 54 percent install the latest security patch for their devices as soon as it becomes available.

Just 36 percent of those surveyed said they use six or more unique passwords for their accounts. Interestingly, Americans more than 65 years of age were found most likely to use multiple passwords, with 48 percent reporting they have six or more. Just 26 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 reported using that many passwords.