Firms hit in cyber strike

AUSTRALIAN businesses were devastated by a vicious global ransomware attack yesterday that decimated overseas banks, power grids, airports, shipping companies, supermarkets, and even Chernobyl’s radiation monitoring system.

In what security experts warned was a sign of escalating cyber attacks designed “to destroy”, the ransomware known as Goldeneye and Petya rushed through international computer networks in the early hours, crippling computers as well as the files on them.

And they warned there was “no way” victims would get their files back, even if they paid ransoms.

While it hit Europe hardest, several Australian businesses were caught up in the turmoil, including the iconic Cadbury’s chocolate factory in Hobart, which was not even able to take phone calls yesterday.

Major transport firm TNT Express was also unable to book deliveries after it was hit by the ransomware, and spokeswoman Rachel Mason said the company was “implementing remediation steps as quickly as possible”.

Australian workers at some international firms were also advised not to log on to their computers after infections took hold in other their networks.

Law firm DLA Piper sent text messages to workers at its offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth warning them not to use their computers, while local offices of British advertising firm WPP resorted to working on their mobile phones as a precaution. parts of

Cyber Security Minister Dan Tehan confirmed two Australian businesses were hit by ransomware that appeared to be the Goldeneye strain yesterday, and said the Government would “monitor the situation in Australia” as the fallout continued.

“This ransomware attack is a wake-up call to all Australian businesses to regularly back up their data and install the latest security patches,” he said.

The Goldeneye ransomware attack arrived just one month after a similar program called WannaCry used the same Microsoft Windows vulnerability developed by America’s National Security Agency to infect computers worldwide.

But Bitdefender senior ethreat analyst Bogdan Botezatu said this attack was more sophisticated “by an order of magnitude” and appeared to be designed to wreak destruction rather than make its authors money.

“This is not commercial ransomware,” he said. “It looks like it is meant to destroy.”

THIS ATTACK IS A WAKE-UP CALL TO ALL AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSES TO REGULARLY BACK UP THEIR DATA AND INSTALL THE LATEST SECURITY PATCHES