Governments and computer experts girded Monday for a possible worsening of the global cyberattack that has hit more than 150 countries, as Microsoft warned against stockpiling vulnerabilities like the one at the heart of the crisis.
European policing and security agencies said the fallout from a ransomware attack that has already crippled more than 200,000 computers around the world could deepen as people return for another work week.
The indiscriminate attack began Friday and struck banks, hospitals and government agencies, exploiting known vulnerabilities in older Microsoft computer operating systems.
US package delivery giant FedEx, European car factories, Spanish telecoms giant Telefonica, Britain’s health service and Germany’s Deutsche Bahn rail network were among those hit.
In China, hundreds of thousands of computers at nearly 30,000 institutions and organisations were infected by late Saturday, internet firm 360 Security said.
Government agencies and universities were among those hit as well as petrol stations, ATMs and hospitals, said the firm, one of China’s leading software security providers.
Europol executive director Rob Wainwright said the situation could worsen on Monday when workers return to their offices after the weekend and log on.
Source: http://cio.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/digital-security/world-braces-for-more-cyberattacks-as-work-week-begins/58680984
Submitted by: Arnfried Walbrecht
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