Wannacry Ransomware: Understanding The Cyber Attack That Rocked The World

On Friday, May 12, 2017, WannaCry, a ransomware virus that targets Microsoft Windows operating systems also known as Wanna Decryptor and WannaCrypt, was launched infecting more that 300,000 computers in at least 150 countries demanding that users pay bitcoin ransoms in 28 languages. Hospitals who fell victim to the attack experienced system-wide lockouts, delays to patient care and function loss in connected devices such as MRI scanners and blood storage refrigerators. Though ransomware attacks on hospitals and healthcare providers have been on the rise, the scale and reach of this attack is unprecedented.

What is ransomware?

Ransomware is malicious computer code (malware) that takes control of a targeted computer and locks out the user until the attacker sends a command to unlock the computer, usually after a ransom payment is made through bitcoin. Malware will expand through a computer network and extend to other networks that are connected to the infected