TIL Desk/World/London/ A huge extortion cyberattack hit dozens of nations today, holding computer data for ransom at hospitals, telecommunications firms and other companies. The attack appeared to exploit a vulnerability purportedly identified for use by the US National Security Agency and later leaked to the internet.
The attack hit Britain’s health service, forcing affected hospitals to close wards and emergency rooms. Related attacks were reported in Spain, Portugal and Russia. Two security firms Kaspersky Lab and Avastsaid they had identified the malware behind the attack in upward of 70 countries, although both said the attack has hit Russia hardest.
The Russian Interior Ministry has confirmed it was hit by the “ransomware” attack, which encrypts data on infected computers and demands payment, usually via the digital currency bitcoin, to release it.
Britain’s health service was also hit hard today as the attack froze computers at hospitals across the country, shutting down wards, closing emergency rooms and bringing medical treatments to a screeching halt. Hospitals in areas across Britain found themselves without access to their computers or phone systems.
