US National Security Council to investigate the attack
Major ransomware cyber-attack has been attacking companies across the globe says reports. WPP, a British advertising agency is among those to say its IT systems have been disrupted as a consequence. The virus freezes the user’s computer until an untraceable ransom is paid in the digital Bitcoin currency. The source of the virus is not yet known. Ukrainian firms were among the first to report issues.
The US National Security Council said government agencies were investigating the attack and that the US was “determined to hold those responsible accountable.” There had been about 2,000 attacks – most in Ukraine, Russia and Poland informed the Russian anti-virus firm Kaspersky Lab. The international police organisation Interpol has said it was “closely monitoring” the situation and liaising with its member countries. Experts suggest the malware is taking advantage of the same weaknesses used by the WannaCry attack last month. “It initially appeared to be a variant of a piece of ransomware that emerged last year,” said computer scientist Prof Alan Woodward.