Cybersecurity

Global cyber-attack: How roots can be traced to the US

The huge cyber-attack affecting organisations around the world, including some UK hospitals, can be traced back to the US National Security Agency (NSA) - raising questions over the US government's decision to keep such flaws a secret.

Elements of the malicious software used in Friday's attacks were part of a treasure trove of cyber-attack tools leaked by hacking group the Shadow Brokers in April.

One of the tools contained in the Shadow Brokers leak, codenamed EternalBlue, proved to be "the most significant factor" in the spread of Friday's global attack, according to cyber-security firm Kaspersky Lab.

The tool was said to have been created by the NSA - though, as is typical, the agency has neither confirmed nor denied this.