International cyber-attack
A virus has locked thousands of government, company and public service employees out of their computers.
The global cyber-attack started on Friday and continued across the weekend.
Language challenge
Ransomware is a portmanteau, meaning a word made from two other words. Which two words form ‘ransomware’?
a) ran and somewhere
b) ransom and beware
c) ransom and software
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The story
Experts in cyber-security are warning of a possible new wave of malware attacks around the world when people return to work after the weekend.
More than 120,000 systems in about a hundred countries were estimated to have been infected on Friday. The disruption has hit users including government offices, car manufacturers, banks and health services.
The malware prevents access to computer data and demands a ransom to lift the block.
Key words and phrases
surge
a sudden increase
ransomware
a virus designed to stop a computer working unless money is paid
stopped in its tracks
stop moving or doing something suddenly
To do
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