Advertisement

New ransomware attack rocks UK and the rest of Europe

Photo credit: Rafe Swan
Photo credit: Rafe Swan

From Digital Spy

A major ransomware attack has hit the IT systems of companies across the UK and Europe, a month after the WannaCry virus wreaked havoc across the NHS.

According to BBC News, British advertising agency WPP is among those affected in the UK, with the company stating that their systems have been disrupted by the cyber-attack.

Firms in Ukraine, including the state power company, the capital Kiev's main airport and the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, were among the first to report issues.

Experts initially thought the ransomware responsible for the attack was a variant of Petya, although that is now believed not to be the case.

Andrei Barysevich, a spokesman for security firm Recorded Future, told the BBC that ransomware attacks will continue as long as cyber-thieves find them lucrative.

"A South Korean hosting firm just paid $1m to get their data back and that's a huge incentive," he said. "It's the biggest incentive you could offer to a cyber-criminal."

This is the third cyber-attack that has affected the UK in the past month – although the most recent security breach did not involve the use of infected ransomware.

Photo credit: Adam Gault / Getty Images
Photo credit: Adam Gault / Getty Images

Related: Google announces measures to tackle extremist content in wake of UK terrorist attacks

Over the weekend, the Houses of Parliament were hit by an attack, with hackers reportedly attempting to identify weak passwords in users' accounts.

"The Houses of Parliament have discovered unauthorised attempts to access parliamentary user accounts," a spokesperson for the government said.

"We are continuing to investigate this incident and take further measures to secure the computer network, liaising with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

"Parliament has robust measures in place to protect all of our accounts and systems, and we are taking the necessary steps to protect and secure our network."


Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Twitter account and you're all set.

You Might Also Like