A wave of cyber attacks, dubbed "GoldenEye" or "Petya", has hit Russia and Ukraine before spreading to Western Europe, North America and now Australia.
It's the second global outbreak of so-called ransomware in less than two months.
Users have been locked out of their computers with a ransom demand of $400 (aud) to be paid in order to be let back in.
Hackers are thought to have exploited code, called 'Eternal Blue', developed by the US National Security Agency which was leaked and then used in the WannaCry ransomware attack that caused global disruption in May.
Dan Tehan, the federal minister responsible for Cyber Security, has told the ABC at least two Australian businesses have been affected.
Heavily armed officers have swooped on 26 properties across
Sydney and the ACT in simultaneous early-morning raids, smashing a
multi-million dollar drug-trafficking syndicate involving outlaw
bikies and Asian crime gangs.
Twelve people have been arrested in the operation with NSW's top
cop claiming authorities have "cut off the head of the snake of
organised crime".
The raids were carried out about 7am on Wednesday after a
shipping container examined at Port Botany on the weekend was found
to have more than a tonne of ephedrine, NSW Police said.
That amount of the precursor of the drug ice is said to have an
estimated street value of more than $500 million.
"Over a million dollars in cash and firearms (were) seized -
it's certainly the biggest operation we've had for this year in
terms of really cutting off the head of the snake of organised
crime," NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller told 2GB Radio on
Wednesday.
استمعوا هنا الى البث المباشر لاذاعتنا و لاذاعة BBC أيضا
http://www.sbs.com.au/arabic/live
