WEB DESK
European and British policing and security agencies have warned that the fallout from an unprecedented global cyber attack could worsen as people return to work. An international manhunt was under way for the plotters behind the world’s biggest-ever computer ransom assault, which has hit more than 200,000 victims and has affected more than 150 countries.
The indiscriminate attack, which began Friday, struck banks, hospitals and government agencies, exploiting known vulnerabilities in old Microsoft computer operating systems.Europol executive director Rob Wainwright said the situation could worsen today when workers return to their offices after the weekend and log on.
Technicians around the world are scrambling to apply computer patches and restore systems amid fears that a global malware attack could wreak a new round of havoc on Monday when businesses reopen.
The spread of the virus dubbed WannaCry had slowed but cybersecurity experts have warned that new versions of the worm are likely, even as the extent of the damage caused by Friday’s attack remains unclear.
Meanwhile, a global manhunt is on for the perpetrators of the attack that is being described as the biggest-ever cyber ransom attack.
“The recent attack is at an unprecedented level and will require a complex international investigation to identify the culprits,” said a statement issued by Europol, Europe’s police agency.
Europol said a special task force at its European Cybercrime Centre was “specially designed to assist in such investigations and will play an important role in supporting the investigation.”
Victims of the attack received a message on their computer screens demanding $300 (275 euros) via the virtual currency, bitcoin, saying: “Ooops, your files have been encrypted!”
The perpetrators have demanded payment within three days or the price will double, and they threaten to delete the files altogether if payment is not received within seven days.
Meanwhile, Indian Government’s cyber security arm CERT-In has alerted vital institutions including RBI, stock markets and NPCI against the latest cyber attack that has infected thousands of systems globally.
Yesterday, it has issued a list of do’s and dont’s to these agencies and advised installation of relevant “patches” to protect against any data breaches.