Several major firms say targets of international cyberattack

The website homepage of British advertising giant WPP. Several multinational companies said on June 27, 2017 they were targeted in an international cyberattack which started in Russia and Ukraine before spreading to western Europe. PHOTO | BENJAMIN FATHERS | AFP

PARIS

A major cyberattack has unfolded, striking banks, corporations and infrastructure in Ukraine and Russia before spreading to western Europe and then the United States.

Experts say the virus is a modified version of the so-called Petya ransomware, which hit last year and demanded money from victims in exchange for their data.

A similar virus called WannaCry infected more than 200,000 computers in more than 150 countries last month.

Following is a list of companies and organisations which say they have been a victim of the latest attack:

 

  • Ukraine's central bank, the National Bank of Ukraine

  • Ukrainian bank Oschadbank

  • Ukrainian delivery service company Nova Poshta

  • Russian state oil giant Rosneft

  • Kyivenergo, Kiev power company

  • Radiation monitoring system at Chernobyl

  • Website of Kiev's Boryspil international airport

  • Danish sea transport company Maersk

  • British advertising giant WPP

  • French industrial group Saint-Gobain

  • US pharmaceutical giant Merck