More cyber attacks on the way, warn experts

In Britain, ambulances were diverted, operations were cancelled, and doctors were forced to treat patients without their full medical records. In Germany, screens in train stations displayed threatening ransom messages. In France, the car company Renault was forced to halt production at several factories.

This was all due to a computer virus known as WannaCry, which caused havoc as it spread around the globe on Friday. It was a type of virus known as ransomware: once it had infected a computer, it locked the files and displayed a screen demanding $300 in bitcoin. It was also a “worm”, meaning that it could spread through entire networks of computers incredibly quickly.

Yesterday the chief of Europol Rob Wainwright said that at least 200,000 victims had been targeted in 150 different countries. “The global reach is unprecedented,” he said.

Currently, no one knows who was behind the attack.

The virus exploited a weakness in Microsoft Windows that was initially discovered by the NSA, one of America’s intelligence organisations. This “cyber weapon” was then leaked by a group of hackers in April, around the same time that Microsoft offered a patch to fix the problem.

However, not everyone had installed the update — including in the NHS, where many computers still use the out-of-date operating system Windows XP.

Eventually, the virus was stopped by an “accidental hero” in England, known only by his blog name, MalwareTech. While investigating the ransomware code, he discovered an unregistered domain name. He bought it for just $10.69 to track the progress of the virus; but this turned out to be a “kill switch” that stopped the program in its tracks.

Still, he has warned that there may be more to come. “The attackers will realise how we stopped it,” he said. “They’ll change the code and then they’ll start again.”

Reality bytes

For many, it has been terrifying to watch just how quickly and easily the virus spread. This is not just about lost money if the ransom is paid; disrupting hospitals could cost lives. We were lucky this time — but we have had a glimpse of a truly apocalyptic future. What happens if hackers get access to electricity grids, or nuclear codes? Our reliance on technology feels far more dangerous than it did this time last week.

Don’t panic, say others. The virus was stopped, and it does not seem like anyone was hurt. What’s more, the incident has been a wake-up call for companies and governments alike. No one can deny the importance of cyber security now. And the good news is that protecting computers from ransomware is relatively easy — as long as we make sure that software is updated regularly, then everyone will be safe. Simple.