A new ransomware is sweeping the globe, but there's a vaccine

It's a familiar story: You boot up your computer only to find a mysterious message saying your files are encrypted. You soon realize that your data is likely gone for good — even if you fork over a cryptocurrency ransom payment. 

But this time around, as a new and virulent form of ransomware dubbed NotPetya sweeps the globe, it doesn't have to be this way. 

Because this time around, there's a vaccine. 

What is NotPetya?

The first symptoms of the attack appeared on June 27 in Ukraine, with the National Bank of Ukraine and the Kiev International Airport both hit hard. Even Chernobyl's radiation monitoring system has reportedly been affected. But NotPetya, which targets the Windows operating system, didn't stay thereMicrosoft has confirmed that computers in 64 additional countries have been infected.  Read more...