In the wake of the seismic cyber tremors set off by the notorious WannaCry ransomware attack, our global digital landscape is once again adjusting to the aftershocks of another major malware assault. Key players in the world of commerce, including Danish shipping conglomerate Maersk, global courier titan FedEx, and British advertising powerhouse WPP, have been swept up in this recent wave of cyber chaos.
While both FedEx and Maersk have acknowledged the incoming digital assault, they’ve offered assurance by stating they’re yet to detect any signs of data breaches – at least for the time being.
However, the exact nature of this new digital menace is a cause for contention among security experts worldwide. American firm Symantec suggests it’s a mutation of the previously known malware ‘Petya.’ Russian cybersecurity specialist Kaspersky, however, advocates a different theory. They believe the world is contending with a novel cyberthreat which they’ve labeled ‘ExPetr.’ While the disagreements rage on, one thing is undeniable: in a similar fashion to its predecessor, WannaCry, this new malware locks users’ files behind an encryption wall – provided by an now-patched Windows vulnerability – and demands a ransom of $300 in Bitcoin for the release of the suffocating data.
Thus far, around 80 Russian and Ukrainian companies have been swindled by this cyber scam. Experts are sounding alarms, advising victims against falling into the trap of paying the ransom. There are no guarantees that payment will result in the retrieval of files. The hackers’ profits from the WannaCry attacks have spiraled to over $75,000 – a disturbing illustration of how desperation can cause users to hand over huge sums to regain access to their invaluable data.
Notably, this new digital parasite also exploits a Windows glitch, known as EternalBlue, just like its infamous cousin WannaCry. While Microsoft claims to have patched this issue with their March update, they also mentioned they would further investigate the incident and are expected to publish their findings soon.
Giving into the demands of these cybercriminals would only embolden them to execute more attacks. Protective measures for users can be as simple as an updated Windows system and frequent data backups.
Let’s continue our collective battle against this invasive threat and remain committed to securing our digital world!
This article was updated in 2025 to reflect modern realities.