The so-called ‘WannaCry’ ransomware attack was unleashed on Friday, and is said to have hit more than 100,000 organizations in 150 countries, according to Europol.

The malware, which locks files and asks for payment to unlock them, hit businesses and institutions across the world, including shipper FedEx, train systems in Germany, a Spanish telecommunications company, universities in Asia, Russia’s interior ministry and forced hospitals in Britain to turn away patients.

The virus infects computers by encrypting the file contents and displaying a message demanding a $300 ransom to unlock the files. So far though, it seems that the amount paid to the hackers is only around $26,000 to the ‘bitcoin’ accounts of the attackers.

This attack demonstrates how important it is to ensure all your computer systems have their latest security patches and updates, and also ensure that your organization’s emails are scanned with a high quality Anti-Virus solution.

SOURCE: NPR.COM

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/14/528355526/repercussions-continue-from-global-ransomware-attack