The world is facing an attack from a new version of the Petya ransomware.
The Petya ransomware is a virus that is spreading across the world and is now on computers in 65 countries. The virus got its start in the Ukraine and expanded out from there. It encrypts a computer’s files and seeks a $300 bitcoin payment before it gives them back to the owner. However, the mail to contact the hackers is now blocked.
The spread of the Petya ransomware has seen it hitting several different companies and we have a list of them.
- Rosneft
- Ukrtelecom
- Saint-Gobain
- WPP
- Home Credit Bank
- Evraz
- DLA Piper
- Heritage Valley Health Systems
- Mondelez International Inc’s (NASDAQ:MDLZ) Cadbury
- Kievenergo
- Metro Group
- M.E.Doc
- Maersk
- Merck & Co., Inc. (NYSE:MRK)
- Nuance Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NUAN)
You can follow these links to learn more about the companies affected by the Petya ransomware.
It isn’t just companies that are being hit by the Petya ransomware. Government computers across the world are also having to deal with it. Banks and metro stations are also having trouble operating properly due to the virus, reports The New York Times.
While cybersecurity firms are working on a way to stop the virus, a killswitch isn’t yet available. Despite this, there is hope for those looking to protect their computers. A file has been created that acts like a vaccine for the Petya ransomware. It tricks the virus into thinking that it is already installed on the machine, which means it own’t try to infect it, NPR notes.
As of this writing, William White did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
