Ransomware attack circles globe

'WannaCry' infection attempts to extort cash from computer users

In this photo, a display panel with an error can be seen at the main railway station in Chemnitz, Germany. Germanys national railway says that it was among the organizations affected by the global cyberattack but there was no impact on train services. Deutsche Bahn said early Saturday that departure and arrival display screens at its stations were hit Friday night by the attack. - photo by Associated Press

W cyberattack — In this photo, a display panel with an error can be seen at the main railway station in Chemnitz, Germany. Germanys national railway says that it was among the organizations affected by the global cyberattack but there was no impact on train services. Deutsche Bahn said early Saturday that departure and arrival display screens at its stations were hit Friday night by the attack. - photo by Associated Press

LONDON — A global "ransomware" cyberattack, unprecedented in scale, had technicians scrambling to restore Britain's crippled hospital network Saturday and secure the computers that run factories, banks, government agencies and transport systems in many other nations. The worldwide effort to extort cash from computer users spread so widely that Microsoft quickly changed its policy, making security fixes available for free for the older Windows systems still used by millions of individuals and smaller businesses. A malware tracking map showed "WannaCry" infections popping up around the world.

Associated Press

Associated Press