The latest version of ransomware to wreak havoc on businessesand utilities around the globe has several names: Petya, NotPetyaand GoldenEye, but the outcome is still the same — majordisruption.
The virus started its virulent computer attack on June27th and according to antivirus expert McAfee, businesses in the U.S. Canada, GreatBritain, the Ukraine, China, Brazil and Australia were severelyimpacted. Even Russia reported that a major oil company and asteelmaker were affected.
Companies like U.S. law firm DLA Piper, Danish shipping magnetA.P. Moller-Maersk A/S, a number of Ukrainian banks, an Australianchocolate factory and even the worldwide operations of FedEx Corp.are just some of the entities assessing the damage to theiroperations. At ports around the world, terminal operators had toresort to their back-up plans or manual procedures, which severelyimpacted their ability to accept shipments, but allowed them tokeep running.
More precise than WannaCry
Similar to the WannaCry virus that struck just a few weeks ago, Petya has targeted thousands ofcomputers and demands a $300 ransom paid in Bitcoin. However, thesimilarity ends there. McAfee says that once a computer isinfected, the virus is much more precise in what it infects. WhileWannaCry tried to infect every IP address possible, Petyadetermines whether or not a machine is a workstation or a domaincontroller with access to multiple IP addresses that can beinfected within a network.
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Patricia L. Harman
Patricia L. Harman is the editor-in-chief of Claims magazine, a contributing editor to PropertyCasualty360.com, and chairs the annual America's Claims Event (ACE), which focuses on providing claims professionals with cutting-edge education and networking opportunities. She covers auto, property & casualty, workers' compensation, fraud, risk and cybersecurity, and is a frequent speaker at insurance industry events. Contact her at [email protected]
