Ransomware
Companies worldwide are bracing themselves for a second, and possibly even more deadly, ransomeware attack similar to the one that took place Friday.

SAN FRANCISCO (Diya TV) – Businesses around the world scrambled Saturday to prepare for a renewed cyberattack, convinced that a lull in a computer offensive that has stopped car factories, hospitals, schools, and other organizations in around 100 countries across the globe was only temporary.

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The pace of the attack of a virus dubbed WannaCry slowed late Friday, after the so-called “ransomware” locked up more than 100,000 computers, demanding owners pay to $300 to $600 get their data back.

Securities company Symantec predicted the current infections would cost companies tens of millions of dollars, mostly from cleaning their corporate networks. Ransoms paid so far amount to only tens of thousands of dollars, one analyst said, but he predicted they would rise. Companies rushed to protect Windows systems with patches that Microsoft released last month and on Friday. WannaCry exploited a vulnerability to spread itself across networks. No doubt that, following this, more companies may look to a Managed IT Service that can provide a comprehensive cyber security solution for their business so that their network is as safe and secure as it can possibly be.

The code for exploiting the bug, known as “Eternal Blue,” was initially released on the internet in March by a hacking group known as the Shadow Brokers. The group claimed it had stolen the code from a repository of National Security Agency hacking tools. While the identity of the Shadow Brokers remains unknown, many securities experts have said they believe the group to hold its roots in Russia, a major source of ransomware and was one of the countries hit first and hardest by WannaCry.

Those experts, who have been on watch for months for an “Eternal Blue”-based attack, said on Saturday that they expect the computer code to be used in types of cyber attacks beyond extortion campaigns, including efforts to seize control of networks and steal data. Cyber attacks are becoming more frequent though, which is an issue for some people. You can find out more information here about it.

Governments and private security firms on Saturday that they expect hackers to tweak the malicious code used in Friday’s attack, restoring the ability to self-replicate. Those expectations prompted businesses to call in technicians to work over the weekend to make sure networks were protected with security updates needed to thwart Eternal Blue.

Guillaume Poupard, head of France’s national cyber security agency, told Reuters he is concerned infections could surge again on Monday, when workers return to the office and turn on computers.

Renault, the French automaker, said on Saturday it had halted stopped manufacturing at plants in Sandouville, France and Romania to prevent the spread of ransomware in its systems. Among the other victims is a Nissan manufacturing plant in Sunderland, northeast England. German rail operator Deutsche Bahn said some electronic signs at stations announcing arrivals and departures were infected. In Asia, some hospitals, schools, universities and other institutions were affected, though the full extent of the damage is not yet known due to the weekend.