Vietnam loses $542 million to cyber viruses in 2017

Cyber attacks including the rise of ransomware cost Vietnamese users VND12.3 trillion or more than $542.8 million last year, according to a report from top online security firm BKAV.

The year saw strong attacks from ransomware and malware containing cryptocurrency mining tools, causing losses that were more than 18 percent up from 2016, said the Hanoi-based company, officially known as Bach Khoa Internetwork Security Center.

More than 1,900 computers in Vietnam were infected by the global WannaCry attack in May. Meanwhile, a cryptocurrency mining malware which appeared on Facebook two weeks ago has infected more than 23,000 computers in Vietnam, said BKAV.

As cryptocurrencies became popular worldwide, hackers were prompted to launch attacks on computers to turn them into mining tools, it said.

The company said similar attacks will continue in 2018, besides possible direct attacks on cryptocurrency software. Most of these systems have not been recognized by the government, meaning users will have to bear all the losses.