Some security experts have suggested the attack could be even bigger than the Wannacry attack, which spread across the world in May. That was most famous for locking down computers across hospitals and doctors surgeries, but it also hit other major international companies.
At the time, cyber security professionals warned that a repeat attack could be launched that would be even bigger than that crippling hack.
A hospital in the US and pharmaceutical company Merck also fell victim, and Cadbury owner Mondelez International said it had experienced a “global IT outage” which it was working to resolve.Britain’s WPP, the world’s biggest advertising agency, said it had been hit by a cyber attack, one of many major corporations to face major disruption.
The current ransomware is known as GoldenEye, according to Bogdan Botezatu, a senior e-threat analyst at Bitdefender.
Victims of the malware are asked to pay a 300-dollar ransom after their hard drive is encrypted, crashing their computer.
Mr Botezatu, who warned against paying any money, said on Tuesday night that the malware operators received 27 payments totaling almost 7,000 dollars in digital currency in around five hours.
