WannaCry virus inadvertenly helps Australian drivers avoid speeding tickets
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}File photo. (REUTERS/Kacper Pempel)
Despite taking down more than 300,000 computers around the world in over 150 countries, affecting countless organizations, the WannaCry ransomware may have helped some unwitting Australian motorists.
Fifty-five traffic cameras near inner-city Melbourne were affected by the ransomware after a maintenance worker unknowingly uploaded the virus.
As a result, 590 speeding tickets and those for running a red-light were cancelled, according to Victorian Police.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}In a statement provided to the BBC, Acting Deputy Commissioner Ross Guenther said he canceled the tickets because "I think it's important the public has 100% confidence in the system."
The ransomware, which asks for $300 in Bitcoin to be shut down, was noticed by police when they saw the cameras were rebooting often.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}WannaCry was first detected in March, but it was reported as being stolen from the United States National Security Agency a month later.
Older versions of Microsoft's Windows operating system were affected by the ransomware, but surprisingly, Windows XP, released in 2001, was not affected.