Technology

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un. A hacking group linked to North Korea has used code that's identical to some of the malware used in the WannaCry attack, security researchers say.

National

North Korea May Be Linked To WannaCry Ransomware, Researchers Say

2:00pm May 16, 2017

by Bill Chappell

Google security researcher Neel Mehta pointed out similarities between WannaCry and malware used by Lazarus, the group that has been blamed for the Sony Pictures hack of 2014.

A screenshot of the warning screen from a purported ransomware attack on a laptop in Beijing.

World News

From Kill Switch To Bitcoin, 'WannaCry' Showing Signs Of Amateur Flaws

12:08pm May 16, 2017

by Martin Kaste

There's very little law enforcement can do to catch purveyors of ransomware — unless they slip up. The criminals behind the WannaCry attack may have done just that.

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Microsoft President Brad Smith speaks at the annual Microsoft shareholders meeting on Nov. 30, 2016, in Bellevue, Wash.

Microsoft President Urges Nuclear-Like Limits On Cyberweapons

10:18am May 16, 2017

by Aarti Shahani

Microsoft President Brad Smith calls for a "Digital Geneva Convention" under which governments would set limits on the creation of cyberweapons, just like they did for nuclear weapons.

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World News

Ransomware Attacks Begin To Stabilize After Compromising Networks Worldwide

5:40pm May 15, 2017

by Aarti Shahani

The volume of ransomware attacks is slowing or stabilizing around the world, according to government officials and security experts. And the amount of ransom paid out by victims is relatively small — just tens of thousands of dollars. But the scope of the attack in more than 100 countries is still massive, its disruptions are widespread, and the weaknesses it exposed in computer systems can only be described as frightening.

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National

Former White House CIO Outlines How To Safe Guard Against Malware

5:40pm May 15, 2017

NPR's Audie Cornish talks with cybersecurity expert and former White House Chief Information Officer Theresa Payton about consumer protection against malware and what to do if you're hit with ransomware.

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Hackers Likely Stole NSA Research To Conduct Global Ransomware Attack

5:40pm May 15, 2017

The ransomware attacks hitting European and Asian computers were made in part possible by National Security Agency research into computer exploits. NPR's Audie Cornish talks to researcher Nicholas Weaver about these leaked exploits and how they compromise U.S. intelligence.

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A world map shows where computers were infected by WannaCrypt ransomware since Sunday, as recorded by MalwareTech.com.

WannaCry Ransomware: What We Know Monday

4:03pm May 15, 2017

by Bill Chappell

A Homeland Security official says that so far, "the U.S. is still in a relatively good place." But because of the malware's success, it is being tweaked to foil attempts to stop its spread.

After the WannaCry cyberattack hit computer systems worldwide, Microsoft says governments should report software vulnerabilities instead of collecting them. Here, a ransom window announces the encryption of data on a transit display in eastern Germany on

National

WannaCry Ransomware: Microsoft Calls Out NSA For 'Stockpiling' Vulnerabilities

11:07am May 15, 2017

by Bill Chappell

The NSA's losing control of the software behind the WannaCry cyberattack is like "the U.S. military having some of its Tomahawk missiles stolen," Microsoft President Brad Smith says.

Global Cyberattack Spreads, U.S. Avoids Worst Of It

8:29am May 15, 2017

Universities, hospitals, railways and other institutions in China are the latest targets. David Greene talks to Michael Chertoff, who served as Homeland Security secretary under President Bush.

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A screenshot of the warning screen ransomware attack, as captured by a computer user in Taiwan, seen Saturday.

Repercussions Continue From Global Ransomware Attack

1:45pm May 14, 2017

by James Doubek

The latest global cyberattack is believed to be the biggest extortion attack recorded, with more than 200,000 people affected in 150 countries. But ransomware has been around for years.