Ransomware spread rapidly across five continents using leaked NSA cyber tools.
Later the this morning. The other developing story. The global cyber attack where hackers demanded money and exploited a dangerous security hole that posed problems to thousands of companies in multiple countries. Could there be a second wave coming? Here’s Brian Ross. Reporter: U. S. Officials this morning are praising the quick work of this computer security programmer in Indiana. Darian huss, and a counterpart in great Britain, who analyzed the hacker’s messages, demanding ransom, and stumbled on the a kill switch that shut down the massive attack in its tracks. So I was panicking looking through the code and I realized that actually we had stopped it. Once the kill switch was activated, the mall ware would do nothing. Reporter: It includes FedEx in the United States. Rail roads in Europe. Hospitals in great Britain, where surgeries were canceled, ambulances Tur away. This morning, law enforcement and intelligence authorities around the world led by Britain’s new computer security squad, where we were recently given rare access, are working to track down whoever was responsible. With Russian organized crime considered a prime suspect. It’s people trying to steal money. The digital world gives people an opportunity to do that at a scale hitherto unknown. Allows people to think up new ways of doing bad things. Reporter: Cyber security experts believe the attack was carried out with the help of a program first developed by U. S. Intelligence to compromise the commuters of terrorists and foreign adversaries. They lost it. Somebody stole the information. Publisheon the internet. Now it’s being used against others. Reporter: As of this morning, U. S. Officials believe American companies have dodged a bullet. And because of the quick activation of the kill switch. Even so, U. S. Officials believe the hackers will try a second wave of attacks without a kill switch. And that could come anytime soon. Dan and Paula? Not something to look forward to. A lot of other new this is
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