As a result, Microsoft has been forced to publish a security patch to curb the spread of "WannaCry" on systems running the unsupported Windows XP, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2003 operating systems.
The ransomware, once opened by a single user on a computer network, is able to spread to many other machines on that network, vastly expanding the reach of the attack.
Microsoft successfully patched the security flaw that allowed the NSA tool - called EternalBlue - to function in March. The patch being released acts to prevent the "WannaCrypt" exploit that plagued countries across the world this week by disrupting health services, utility companies and more.
This ransomware program, however, hit companies as diverse as FedEx and the Spanish telecommunications giant Telefonica.
Microsoft usually charges a hefty fee to provide custom support for older versions of Windows - something that the United Kingdom government thought it could do without. "We are taking the highly unusual step of providing a security update for all customers to protect Windows platforms that are in custom support only, including Windows XP, Windows 8, and Windows Server 2003".
The ransomware may be using an exploit developed by the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) and revealed publicly in a WikiLeaks data dump last month. "This decision was made based on an assessment of this situation, with the principle of protecting our customer ecosystem overall, firmly in mind".
BC Liberals win minority government
Had the Green voters (7.45 per cent) voted for the Liberals instead, Anton would have beat Chow and held onto her riding. He said however the government ends up looking, the NDP's increased seat count in the legislature strengthens the party.
Microsoft has released a patch to fix computers affected by the malware. Since then, it appears to be spreading around the globe at speed.
If you have an older Vista or Windows 7 system, check out our tips on how to set up and check Windows Updates.
Since early Friday morning, reports have been coming in about a massive ransomware attack sweeping through Windows PCs in Europe.
Security firms Bitdefender suggests that WannaCryptor is one of the biggest threats that both end users and companies have had to face recently.
It said those organizations who have not yet applied the security update should immediately deploy Microsoft Security Bulletin MS17-010.
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