http://metro.co.uk/2017/0...als-want-them-6638325/Cyber criminals were widely reported as having demanded ‘bitcoins’ in their ransom demands last week.
What is Wanna Decryptor the ransomware used in the NHS cyber attack?
Thousands of computers around the world were infected with ransomware on Friday with users files locked and demands for bitcoin payments to allow access.
NHS hospitals, GP surgeries, pharmacies, FedEx and Spain’s main telecoms provider Telefonica were among those targetted in the cyber assault, which is though to have affected 150 countries.
In Britain, the attack meant hundreds of operations were cancelled as well as patient files, test results and X-rays being unavailable – with fears the attack could start up again this week as workers return to their computers.
But why did the cyber criminals demand bitcoins? And what re they? Here is everything you need to know.
(Image - Getty)
Bitcoin is a decentralised digital currency, meaning neither does it exist in the physical world, nor does it have a central bank such as the Federal Reserve or the Bank of England. There are also a finite number of bitcoins in the world, according to Bitcoin.org.
Only 21 million bitcoins exist but this is not seen as a limitation because bitcoins can be broken down into smaller sub-units of bits with 1,000,000 bits in 1 bitcoin. Bitcoins can be divided up to 8 decimal places (0.000 000 01) and potentially even smaller units.