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Worldwide cyberattack could spark more trouble Monday
Companies worldwide are bracing for even more fallout from the biggest cyberattack ever as their workers head back to the office Monday.
The massive ransomware attacks that started late Friday have locked people out of their computers and demanded hundreds of dollars from the users before they could regain control.
The attacks exploit a vulnerability in outdated versions of Microsoft Windows that is particularly problematic for corporations that don't automatically update their systems.
The virus has hit at least 150 countries and claimed 200,000 victims, according to the European Union's law enforcement agency Europol. Hospitals, universities, manufacturers and government agencies in the U.K., China, Russia, Germany and Spain have all been affected.
And experts say the scope of the problem could expand as people return to work and fire up their computers.
There are several factors in play. While a U.K. security researcher managed to stop the spread of the virus, hackers have issued new versions that cybersecurity organizations are trying to counter and stamp out.
"We will get a decryption tool eventually, but for the moment, it's still a live threat and we're still in disaster recovery mode," Europol director Rob Wainwright told CNN's Becky Anderson on Sunday, adding that the number of cases was still rising.
Wainwright said the agency is analyzing the virus and has yet to identify who is responsible for the attack.