Ransomware threat could be revived when workers power on computers Monday: experts

Cyber security experts warning that new versions of the ransomware that crippled businesses and schools across the globe may wreak fresh havoc on Monday when employees return to work.

U.S. and European officials scrambling to catch the culprits behind the virus – dubbed ‘WannaCry‘ – that first struck Friday and stretched across some 200,000 businesses in more than 150 countries, forcing victims to pay hundreds of dollars each to regain access to their computers.

READ MORE: Why the WannaCry ransomware threat isn’t over yet, and how you can protect yourself

U.S. President Donald Trump ordering homeland security advisor Tom Bossert to convene an ’emergency meeting’ to assess the threat in its aftermath, with top U.S. security officials holding a second meeting Saturday to help mitigate the damage.

The original attack began losing momentum late Friday after a security researcher in the U.K., who uses the Twitter handle MalwareTechBlog, stumbled on a way to temporarily limit the worm’s spread. But cyber experts – including the head of the European Union police agency – warn the respite could be short-lived.

READ MORE: Ransomware like WannaCry is an ‘escalating threat,’ says Europol Director

Affected businesses include FedEx, Nissan, German rail operator Deutsche Bahn and hundreds of hospitals and clinics in the British National Health Service.