Europol said a fast-moving computer virus has claimed 200,000 victims and spread to at least 150 countries.
The leading European police agency said Sunday that the devastating WannaCry computer virus had reached an “unprecedented level, ” claiming 200,000 victims and spreading to at least 150 countries.
There were fears that more infections will be discovered Monday.
In an interview with Britain’s ITV, Europol Director Rob Wainwright said a cross-border investigation would be necessary to track down the culprits.
“It is unlikely to be just be one person, I think, ” he told ITV.
The fast-moving virus, which first hit Friday, exploits a vulnerability in the Windows operating system that was originally discovered by the U. S. National Security Agency. That information was stolen by hackers and published online.
While Microsoft has issued security patches to plug the hole, the makers of the WannaCry virus are still able to target millions of PCs that have not been updated. And while two waves of the attack have been blocked, researchers say it may be impossible to stop the launch of new waves.
When the virus finds its way into a PC, data are encrypted and users are told they must pay $300 in bitcoin to receive a key to decrypt it.
On its website, Europol said it is “working closely with affected countries’ cybercrime units and key industry partners to mitigate the threat and assist victims.”
It also said: “The recent attack is at an unprecedented level and will require a complex international investigation to identify the culprits.”
James Clapper, former director of national intelligence under President Obama, noted on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” that more victims of the attack could surface on Monday, when people return to work.
“Well, that’s the concern, ” he said. He added that it was “a very serious, serious problem, ” and that more such attacks can be expected.
The 200,000 victims included more than 100,000 organizations, Europol spokesman Jan Op Gen Oorth told the Associated Press. He said it was too early to say who was behind the onslaught and what their motivation was, aside from the obvious demand for money. So far, he said, not many people have paid the ransom demanded by the malware.
The effects were felt across the globe, with Britain’s National Health Service, Russia’s Interior Ministry and companies including Spain’s Telefonica, FedEx Corp. in the U. S. and French carmaker Renault all reporting disruptions.
Chinese media reported Sunday that students at several universities were hit, blocking access to their thesis papers and dissertation presentations. China’s People’s Daily reported that one student, identified only by the surname Tang, said his computer was hit on Friday night and that the ransom note was in several languages, including Chinese, Korean, Japanese and English.
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O’ Brien is a special correspondent. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
