At Least 12 Nations Hit by N.S.A. Hacking Tool [telecom]

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At Least 12 Nations Hit by N.S.A. Hacking Tool

Britain was the most severely affected by the ransomware attack across Europe and Asia, affecting countries from Russia to Spain and Japan.

By NICOLE PERLROTH and DAVID E. SANGER

SAN FRANCISCO - Hackers exploiting malicious software stolen from the National Security Agency executed damaging cyberattacks on Friday that hit dozens of countries worldwide, forcing Britain's public health system to send patients away, freezing computers at Russia's Interior Ministry and wreaking havoc on tens of thousands of computers elsewhere.

The attacks amounted to an audacious global blackmail attempt spread by the internet and underscored the vulnerabilities of the digital age.