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Global Cyberattack in Brief: Ransomware, a Vision of Future?, Seeking Culprits


A screenshot of the warning screen from a purported ransomware attack, as captured by a computer user in Taiwan, is seen on laptop in Beijing, May 13, 2017. Dozens of countries were hit with a huge cyberextortion attack Friday that locked up computers and
A screenshot of the warning screen from a purported ransomware attack, as captured by a computer user in Taiwan, is seen on laptop in Beijing, May 13, 2017. Dozens of countries were hit with a huge cyberextortion attack Friday that locked up computers and

In what is believed to be the largest attack of its kind ever recorded, a cyberextortion attack continued causing problems Saturday, locking up computers and holding users’ files for ransom at dozens of hospitals, companies and government agencies. Businesses and computer security organizations await problems in the new workweek.

Ransomware Attack Could Herald Future Problems -- Tech staffs around the world worked around the clock this weekend to protect computers and patch networks to block the computer hack whose name sounds like a pop song — "WannaCry" — as analysts warned the global ransomware attack could be just the first of a new wave of strikes by computer criminals.

A display panel with an error can be seen at the main railway station in Chemnitz, Germany, May 12, 2017. Deutsche Bahn said early Saturday that departure and arrival display screens at its stations were hit Friday night by the attack.
A display panel with an error can be seen at the main railway station in Chemnitz, Germany, May 12, 2017. Deutsche Bahn said early Saturday that departure and arrival display screens at its stations were hit Friday night by the attack.

Worldwide Cyberattack Spreads Further in Second Day -- A cyberattack against tens of thousands of data networks in scores of countries, all infected by malware that locks computer files unless a ransom is paid, spread further in its second day Saturday, with no progress reported in efforts to determine who launched the plot.

Authorities Seek Clues On Culprits Behind Global Cyberattack -- The British government said on Saturday it does not yet know who was behind a massive global cyberattack that disrupted Britain's health care services, but Interior Minister Amber Rudd said the country's National Crime Agency is investigating where the attacks came from.

FILE - The headquarters building of European Union police Europol is seen in The Hague, Netherlands, Dec. 2, 2016.
FILE - The headquarters building of European Union police Europol is seen in The Hague, Netherlands, Dec. 2, 2016.

Europol Working on Probe Into Massive Cyberattack -- The European Union's police agency, Europol, says it is working with countries hit by the global ransomware cyberattack to rein in the threat and help victims.

'Perfect Storm' of Conditions Helped Cyberattack Succeed -- The cyberextortion attack that hit dozens of countries spread quickly and widely thanks to an unusual confluence of factors: a known and highly dangerous security hole in Microsoft Windows, tardy users who didn't apply Microsoft's March software fix, and a software design that allowed the malware to spread quickly once inside university, business and government networks.

Where Global Cyberattack Has Hit Hardest -- A look at some of the countries and organizations hardest hit during the global cyberattack.

FILE - A Bitcoin (virtual currency) paper wallet with QR codes and a coin are seen in an illustration picture taken at La Maison du Bitcoin in Paris, France, May 27, 2015.
FILE - A Bitcoin (virtual currency) paper wallet with QR codes and a coin are seen in an illustration picture taken at La Maison du Bitcoin in Paris, France, May 27, 2015.

What Is the Digital Currency Bitcoin? -- In the news now after a cyberextortion attack this weekend, bitcoin has a fuzzy history, but it's a type of currency that allows people to buy goods and services and exchange money without involving banks, credit card issuers or other third parties.

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