{"id":318918,"date":"2017-05-14T06:53:00","date_gmt":"2017-05-14T06:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=318918"},"modified":"2017-05-14T06:53:00","modified_gmt":"2017-05-14T06:53:00","slug":"global-cyber-attack-security-blogger-halts-ransomware-by-accident","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2017\/05\/global-cyber-attack-security-blogger-halts-ransomware-by-accident\/","title":{"rendered":"Global cyber-attack: Security blogger halts ransomware ‘by accident’"},"content":{"rendered":"
A security researcher has told the BBC how he “accidentally” halted the spread of ransomware affecting hundreds of organisations, including the UK’s NHS.<\/p>\n
The man, known online as MalwareTech, was analysing the code behind the malware on Friday night when he made his discovery.<\/p>\n
He first noticed that the software was trying to contact an unusual web address – iuqerfsodp9ifjaposdfjhgosurijfaewrwergwea.com – but this address was not connected to a website, because nobody had registered it.<\/p>\n
So, every time the malware tried to contact the mysterious website, it failed – and then set about doing its damage.<\/p>\n
MalwareTech decided to spend $10.69 (\u00a38) and claim the web address. By owning the web address, he could also access analytical data and get an idea of how widespread the ransomware was.<\/p>\n