Ransomware attack puts bitcoin into the global spotlight once again

THE "WannaCry" ransomware attack that began last Friday and continues to wreck digital havoc around the world has invariably thrown up many more questions than answers.

What is known so far is that at least 150 countries have been targeted and well over 300,000 computers infected. The massive cyber attack, unprecedented on so many levels, has caused disruptions to businesses, healthcare services, government networks and transportation, just to name a few areas.

Already, the heat is on to identify the perpetrators behind what is the worst digital disaster to strike the Internet in recent years. Cybersecurity researchers from Symantec and Kaspersky Lab said on Monday that they had found technical clues that could link North Korea with the origins of WannaCry.