WannaCry ransomware returns, hits LG in South Korea

Julie Spitzer -

LG, a global electronics manufacturer, said it shut down parts of its network Aug. 14 after it discovered a LG self-service kiosk in South Korea had been infected with ransomware, reports ZDNet.

With the help of the Korea Internet and Security Agency, LG analyzed the malicious code and confirmed the ransomware was WannaCry, an LG spokesperson told ZDNet.

The company immediately blocked access at the service center, which stopped the code from spreading to other parts of the organization. It said no data was lost and no ransom was paid. The infected LG service centers were back up and running with all security updates after two days, the company told ZDNet.

In May, WannaCry infected over 300,000 computer systems worldwide until security researcher Marcus Hutchins found a "kill switch" and prevented its spread. Mr. Hutchins has since been arrested on unrelated cybersecurity charges.

Although Microsoft released an emergency patch to protect older systems from WannaCry, but the ransomware has continued to infect unpatched systems. LG and KISA are still working to determine how WannaCry infected the kiosk.

More articles on cybersecurity: 

Report: Top 10 malware families in July

OIG: IT weaknesses found in New Mexico Medicaid eligibility systems

OIG: North Carolina did not meet federal standards for Medicaid claims processing

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.