FedEx among companies to be hit by major ransomware attack

A ransomware attack that has hit tens of thousands of computers around the world also hit US shipping giant FedEx late last week.

Victims of the ransomware attack have found their computers locked down and their files encrypted, with a ransom message that demands $300 in Bitcoin digital currency. It affects Windows-based systems, exploiting a weakness in the software that was allegedly identified by the United States’ NSA but never reported to Microsoft. At some point, details of the weakness were leaked to the internet.

Russia has been the hardest hit by the attack, including its interior ministry, banks and railways, as well as its second largest mobile phone operator, Megafon.

In the UK, 61 NHS organisations have been victims of the attack, making patient records inaccessible. Meanwhile, several Renault factories have had to halt production in France.

FedEx confirmed that it had been hit by the attack but issued few details of the impact on its operations. The courier company stated that it was “experiencing interference” and “implementing remediation steps as quickly as possible.”

(Source: BBC News, ABC News)