Ransomware attack hits British health service
LONDON: A cyber attack that struck at least 16 British National Health Service (NHS) organisations on Friday also hit the computer networks of companies and municipalities in dozens of other nations.
“It’s an international attack and a number of countries and organisations have been affected,” British Prime Minister Theresa May said as she offered an update on her government’s response.
There were reports of more than 75,000 similar attacks on Friday in 99 countries, with Russia, Ukraine and Taiwan hardest hit, according to the cyber security firm Avast.
Several hospitals in London and other parts of England and Scotland were affected by so-called ransom ware, which blocks access to computer systems and then asks for money to unlock it.
A screenshot from one affected NHS device suggested the attackers were demanding payment of $300 in the bitcoin digital currency within three days to recover the encrypted files.
everal NHS computer systems — including telephones — were crippled,causing delays at some hospitals amid fears the lives of patients were at risk.
Doctors and nurses resorted to using pen, paper and their own mobile phones to keep track of patient information, Britain’s Press Association reported.
Patient records were not compromised, said May, who announced that Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre was helping the NHS get its systems back online.
The ransom ware attack did not appear to specifically target the NHS, experts said. The malware is typically spread through vulnerable computer networks.
Companies such Spain’s telecommunications giant Telefonica and US parcel delivery firm FedEx were among the affected businesses. The ransom ware known as Wanna Decryptor is believed to be responsible.
The New York Times reported that hackers behind the ransom ware used tools developed by the US National Security Agency. Those tools were leaked online last year, in an embarrassing data breach for the spy organisation.
Jakub Kroustek of the Avast cyber security software company, based in the Czech Republic, said he had logged at least 75,000 detections by 1915 GMT on Friday.
— dpa