Pirates stolen by Pirates?
Disney appears to be the latest high-profile victim in the recent ransomware attack. Bob Iger, CEO of Disney reportedly told employees that hackers claimed to have 'stolen a Disney movie' and are threatening to release it in chunks if the company doesn't pay a ransom.
- 150 countries affected
- At least 300,000 computers affected including hospitals, telecom networks, schools and businesses
But the so-called Wanna cry malware originated inside the National Security Agency, which stockpiles software vulnerabilities to use against digital antagonists. Very regrettably, that source code was leaked to the public and has now been used to create this ransomware.
Microsoft isn't happy, arguing that the case underscores the danger of government storing software bugs. In a recent statement Microsoft said, We have seen vulnerabilities stored by the CIA show up on Wikileaks, and now this vulnerability, stolen from the NSA, has affected customers around the world.
It's equivalent, says Microsoft, of thieves stealing a Tomahawk missile. Microsoft warns that governments of the world should treat this as a wakeup call.
Meanwhile, the FBI says not to pay a ransom, but experts say it's often the only chance that you'll ever see your data again.