Explained: Petya Ransomware Cyberattack

Petya Ransomware is part of a new wave of cyber-attacks and has infected computer servers across the world.

Extent of Attack

India 
In India, the ransomware has crippled the operations at one of the terminals of the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust. The affected terminal was being operated by AP Moller-Maersk. The company operates the Gateway Terminals India (GTI) which has a capacity to handle 1.8 million standard container units. The attack has impacted the external trade by affecting the systems dealing with the cargo and ships at the country’s largest port.
World 
The Petya ransomware has hit computer servers all across Europe. Ukraine and Russia are the worst affected countries. The ransomware has also impacted some companies in the US and other Western European countries.
In the severely affected Ukraine, government offices, energy companies, banks, cash machines, gas stations, and supermarkets, Ukrainian Railways, Ukrtelecom, and the Chernobyl power plant has been worst affected.

Petya ransomware

Petya is a ransomware, similar to the Wannacry ransomware. However, it is a variation of the WannaCry cyber-attack. It follows the WannaCry’s pattern and locks up the computer data and cripples the Enterprise services in the corporate sector. Researchers are yet to find who is responsible for this attack. The ransomware demands $300 Bitcoins as ransom to unlock computer’s files. The attack is believed to have originated against an update used on a third-party Ukrainian software called MeDoc. This explains why Ukraine is the worst affected.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2017