Russian public institutions hit by massive cyber attack, no damage registered

Dozens of Russian public institutions including the Bank of Russia said on Saturday that they have thwarted a massive cyber attack and prevented vital data loss, Russian media reported.

The central bank's security and information protection division, responsible for monitoring computer attacks in the credit and financial sphere, has registered massive spread of malicious programs, but no instances of compromise were detected, said the Bank of Russia, quoted by Sputnik, a major media outlet in Russia

The Russian Interior Ministry and Health Ministry also said earlier in the day that they have "repelled" such attacks as the virus was promptly detected and localized, according to Russian news agencies.

A number of organizations across the globe have been targeted by similar virus since Friday, according to the latest reports.

Hackers reportedly used a tool known as Eternal Blue and a malicious software called WannaCry to lock users' computers and to demand a payment for the decryption.

The global cyberattack has so far swept across more than 100 countries including the United States, Britain, Germany and China. Cyber security experts said it could be the biggest cyberattack of its kind ever. Endi