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![]() ![]() The ransomware program, which is spread through email, encrypts computer files and then demands the bitcoin equivalent $300 to unlock them. National Security Agency and later leaked online. The vulnerability exploited by the ransomware is believed to have been first identified by the U.S. Although the flaw has been patched by the company, not all users had applied the update. The worm took advantage of a vulnerability in Microsoft's Windows operating system. There were fears, however, that new versions of the worm, without this vulnerability, could eventually be released. Researchers discovered a "kill switch" on the virus that stopped its spread from computer to computer, potentially saving tens of thousands of machines from further infection. The CGV movie chain, South Korea's largest, said that about 50 of its theater complexes were attacked by the ransomware but that films were still running as scheduled. In the South Korean city of Asan, an electronic panel meant to show bus arrival times instead displayed a message demanding bitcoin payment. In response, the Korea Internet and Security Agency in Seoul raised its warning level to 3, or "cautious," on a scale of 1 to 5. South Korea reported that just five companies were affected, including the country's largest movie chain. "Previous concerns of a wide-scale infection of domestic institutions did not eventuate." "The growth rate of infected institutions on Monday has slowed significantly compared to the previous two days," said Chinese Internet security company Qihoo 360, according to Reuters. State media said 29,000 institutions had been hit, along with hundreds of thousands of devices. While factories, hospitals and schools were disrupted in China by the attack, the spread of the virus appeared to be slowing. government to bear," he said, adding that as of Monday, no federal systems were affected. bringing all the capabilities of the U.S. "We are continuing to monitor the situation around clock. ![]() But none reported that they had data encrypted or that they suffered significant disruptions.īossert said Monday that the situation was "under control" at the moment in the United States. entities, including a few in the health-care sector, reported possible Wannacry infections to the Department of Homeland Security, a U.S. The virus has mainly infiltrated systems in Europe - particularly Britain's health-care network on Friday - but financial exchanges were closely watched in the first full trading day since the malware surfaced. In France, automaker Renault said one of its plants was closed Monday as a "preventive step" while engineers looked at the fallout from the cyberattack. In Japan, the government's Computer Emergency Response Team said as many as 2,000 computers at 600 companies were affected by the ransomware, and the government set up a new crisis management office to deal with cyberterrorism.Ĭhina's state-run Xinhua News Agency reported that the virus infiltrated a range of networks, including railway operations, mail delivery, hospitals and government offices. Among the hot stocks were firms selling online protection services. Wall Street exchanges closed slightly higher. In Europe, stock markets were generally flat, but no serious hacker-linked disruptions were reported in early trading. Asian stock markets rose, probably on news of higher oil prices and a new Chinese government spending plan - sending some exchanges to two-year highs. Few problems were reported on stock exchanges and other financial systems Monday. ![]()
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