WannaCry Hits Russian Banks

The WannaCry cyberattack that caused headaches across the globe last week compromised some of Russia’s banks, reported Reuters, citing the Central Bank of Russia.

According to the report, in a statement the Russian central bank said the impact from the attack was dealt with quickly. Previously, the central bank in Russia had said it was a target of WannaCry but that it was unsuccessful.

The Central Bank of Russia told Reuters it sent Russian banks a recommendation to update their Windows software in April before the WannaCry virus hit on May 12. Once the WannaCry attack launched, the central bank reissued the recommendations and said it will begin publishing on its website statements about cyberattacks it has thwarted and tips to secure the banks IT systems. Reuters noted that Sberbank, Russia’s largest bank, said it had been hit by the virus but that it had not infiltrated its computer network.

As has been widely reported, a massive attack hit everything from the United Kingdom’s National Health Service, European automakers and Chinese firms and any number of companies across other verticals, winnowing its way through disparate countries into Saturday.

Interpol had estimated over the weekend that more than 100,000 organizations across 150 nations had been hit by the attack, as reported by The Associated Press. Reuters and others reported that the ransomware infections that hit computers worldwide likely trace their genesis to the U.S. National Security Agency, and Friday’s tally comes to more than 126,000 cases of infection. The malware that was sent had been hidden in any number of attachments in emails that had seemed legitimate, from files that spoofed invoices to job offers and other communications. The demands came in from $300 to $600 to give users back access to their machines.