Cyberattack Spreads in Asia; Thousands of Groups Affected
ng the software patches." The British National Crime Agency, which is taking part in a global investigation into the attack, said
that a second wave of attacks could still occur, and it urged computers users to take precautions. that making sure that our data is properly backed up, and making sure that we are usi
"But it is very important that business and enterprises
that are in the private or government sector make sure those patches for the Windows systems that were made available by Microsoft in March are installed." In Japan, about 2,000 terminals in 600 locations, used by individuals as well as by large companies, were most likely affected by the ransomware attack, according to JPCert, an independent group that helps respond to and track computer security breaches.
On Monday morning, 11 technology companies in China, mostly dealing in internet security,
suspended trading after their stocks rose 10 percent, the daily limit.
Russia’s president, Vladimir V. Putin, blamed the United States, noting
that the malicious software used in the attack had originally been developed by the National Security Agency.
The southern city of Yiyang, with a population of more than four million, said its traffic department had to disconnect from the internet
and suspend all operations, while Xi’an, a city of more than eight million in central China, said the processing of drivers’ tests and traffic violations would be affected because its traffic department had similarly been cut off.
"We have not seen a second wave of attacks, and the level of criminal activity is at the lower end of the range
that we had anticipated, and so I think that is encouraging," the British health minister, Jeremy Hunt, told Sky News on Monday.
Transmitted by email, the malicious software, or malware, locks users out of their computers, threatening to destroy data if a ransom is not paid.