'Ransomware' Attack Strikes Worldwide Targets

#WannaCry #ransomware used in widespread attacks all over the world via @Securelist https://t.co/zh012F9lCC pic.twitter.com/UzJVqUwbT6

— Kaspersky Lab (@kaspersky) May 12, 2017

DW: Major 'ransomware' attack strikes worldwide targets

Nearly 100 countries have been hit by malware exploiting a vulnerability in Microsoft systems. Russia's interior ministry said roughly 1,000 of its computers have been compromised in a cyberattack that spans the globe.

The "ransomware"cyberattack that disrupted several hospitals across the UK on Friday was revealed to be part of a large-scale global attack, with reports suggesting that there were some 50,000 more similar incidents in nearly 100 countries.

Another high-profile target to be hit with the malicious malware was Russia's interior ministry, which reported that roughly 1,000 of its computers had been infected. Interior ministry spokeswoman Irina Volk said in a statement that the ministry's servers had not been impacted by the malware.

Cybersecurity company Kaspersky Lab published on Twitter an image with countries targeted by the attack, with Russia, Ukraine and India among the hardest hit.

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WNU Editor: I had a ransomware attack about 5 years ago. They completely hijacked my computer .... and I could not find where they buried the code so I could remove it. I solved the problem by removing my hard-drive, retrieving my data, and then formatting the drive. I lost about ten hours of my life fixing that mess .... and my blood just boils that there are some people who think they can get away with this.