A ransomware, called WannaCry, is making rounds across the globe and infecting vulnerable systems worldwide. Amongst the affected include FedEx, UK’s National Health Service, Spain’s Telefonica telecom,Russia’s Interior Ministry, and many more. Hackers exploiting leaked NSA secrets and tools are said to be behind the massive attack, although no specific group has been identified as of yet.
The WannaCry ransomware encrypts a computer’s file system and demands payment to restore access to the files. If a payment is not made in 7 days, the ransomware will delete all of the files on the machine. The attack, circulated initially through email, targets Windows machines that have not received the March 2017 security update where Microsoft fixed the vulnerability that makes this particular attack possible.