’Petya’ ransomware attack goes global, targets Merck in US

[OmegaStarScream]

The US-based division of the global pharmaceutical giant Merck has been hit by the ‘Petya’ ransomware attack that has crippled computer systems across the world on Tuesday.
The ransomware attack reportedly began in Ukraine, but has since spread to corporate systems across the world, affecting the Russian state oil giant Rosneft, the international shipping and energy conglomerate Maersk, and the UK-based advertising and public relations company WPP, among others.

Source: https://www.rt.com/usa/394294-ransomware-attack-petya-merck/

[mainpmf]

What's happening exactly?
Is there some black hat hacker who sold his scrypt for ransomware?

I see attacks of such softwares pretty much everywhere on the planet in the last months.
It's like the new fashion trend. A company not attacked by a ransomware is not in xD

Guys stop clicking on random links on your mail and that'll be all!

[Lieldoryn]

I watched the news that ransomware which spread in the network virus Petya earned only a little more than 10 thousand dollars. It seems to me that if this is the case, it is possible that they create such a virus spent more than earned. Maybe they have no more desire to spread these viruses?

[OmegaStarScream]

I watched the news that ransomware which spread in the network virus Petya earned only a little more than 10 thousand dollars. It seems to me that if this is the case, it is possible that they create such a virus spent more than earned. Maybe they have no more desire to spread these viruses?

I doubt that whoever is creating ransomwares is trying to accumulate wealth. If someone have this knowledge to build such a powerful tool, he shouldn't have any issues finding a job. It's probably some people trying to send a message (whatever it is), the amount they got is from people who paid, however, the losses could be in millions for the companies that got infected since they can't access their files. Hackers tend to have a different mind set then other people for some reasons, money is not their priority usually.