A new and highly virulent outbreak of data-scrambling software caused disruption across the world Tuesday. Ukraine and other parts of Europe were hit particularly hard by the new strain of ransomware — malicious software that locks up computer files with all-but-unbreakable encryption and then demands a ransom for its release. "The virus is spreading all over Europe and I'm afraid it can harm the whole world," said Victor Zhora, the chief executive of Infosafe IT in Kiev, where reports of the malicious software first emerged earlier on Tuesday. In the U.S, a hospital in western Pennsylvania said it was dealing with a "widespread" cyberattack, but didn't immediately release further details. In an email, a Posteo representative said it had blocked the email address "immediately" after learning that it was associated with ransomware.

Source: ABC News June 27, 2017 13:40 UTC