First Aussie businesses infected by global cyber attack
The global cyber-attack which wreaked havoc across computers in Europe and Asia over the weekend has finally arrived Down Under, with the Federal Government confirming it had infected its first Australian businesses.
The attack struck more than 75,000 computers in 99 countries with Britain’s health system in particular was left devastated, with stroke victims unable to undergo urgent surgery because their scans could not be accessed from the system.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s cyber security adviser, Alastair MacGibbon, confirmed the breach on Sunday and said it was likely that more computer systems would be hit.
"People going back to work on Monday may switch on their computers and see their systems have been impacted," he said.
"We have one likely incident which is being investigated but we believe there could be more out there."
Mr MacGibbon would not comment on the identity of the business impacted by the attack, but said it was a small company which did not provide any critical infrastructure.
"The affected company doesn't fall under critical infrastructure, it's not a medical or health service and it is not a big company," he said.
"The most important message we want to get out there is that we haven't seen a wholesale impact like we've seen in Europe and other parts of the world. It appears at this stage, it is unlikely there will be any large-scale ramifications."
The attacks use malicious emails to encrypt a computer’s data, demanding payments of hundreds of dollars to decode the data. A mysterious, Russian-linked group called TheShadowBrokers reportedly used a stolen hacking tool to commence the attack.
For more information on online threats to be on the lookout for and what you can do to protect yourself, visit the Government’s Stay Safe Online website here.