PATTERN RECOGNITION
TOBY SHAPSHAK: We have all your data: pay up or ...
A few days ago, the doomsday scenario of malware taking over the world suddenly became a reality
Last Friday, sci-fi predictions became chillingly real. In movies about future terrors, doomsday scenarios have ranged from hackers taking over nuclear power to siphoning off millions from bank accounts. But on Friday the most improbable predictions about cybercrime came true. A ransomware attack affected more than 150 countries, crippling courier giant FedEx, Spain’s largest telecom company, Britain’s national health service, French car maker Renault and Russia’s interior ministry. Ransomware is software that locks people out of their own computers and restricts access to their data until a ransom is paid.This attack could have been worse but for a 22-year-old cyber security researcher in the UK. He noticed an usually spelt domain name in the so-called WannaCry ransomware code. By setting up the domain, which cost US$10.69 (R143), he stopped the attack spreading even further. Suddenly all the warnings from Internet security firms became real. After Friday, the world will never be t...
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