Insights

Over 100 countries affected in global cyber attack

On 12 May, over 100 countries across the world were affected by an ‘unprecedented’ cyber-attack which used a computer weapon which has been dubbed the ‘atom bomb of malware.’ Over 130,000 IT systems were hit around the world, including the NHS hospital system in the UK, telecoms and gas firms in Spain, schools in China, railways in Germany and government computers in Russia. Europols European Cybercrime Centre, known as EC3, said that the attack was extremely high tech and would require a complex international investigation to identify the culprits. The attack is believed to be the biggest of its kind ever recorded and used code developed by the US National Security Agency which was leaked online last month by a mysterious group called the Shadow Brokers.

Those who may have been affected by the global cyber-attack are advised to seek advice from professional bodies. The National Cyber Security Centre has advised firms how to protect computers as they start the working week. Keep your organisation's security software patches up to date. Use proper anti-virus software services. Back up the data that matters to you, because you can't be held to ransom for data you hold somewhere else.