Threat Management, Malware, Ransomware, Threat Management

WannaCry hits Australian traffic cameras due to human error

After recently wreaking havoc on a Japanese Honda plant, WannaCry made its way across the ocean to Australian traffic cameras.

The attack however, was not part of a targeted effort but was rather the result of human error when a contractor mistakenly connected infected hardware to the cameras infecting 55 red light and speeding cameras owned by the private camera operator Redflex in the state of Victoria, according to The Guardian.

A department spokesperson told the publication all of the cameras have been operating correctly and accurately despite the infection and that if the commission finds any motorist were improperly fined, the department would withdraw the fines.

As of June 23, police have voided out 590 speeding fines, according to The Australian

"Our advice at this stage is that a software virus has been detected however the camera system has not been compromised," the police said in a statement. "We will look into all incidents detected by the speed and red light cameras during the time in question as a matter of course. The integrity of the camera system has not been affected."

Officials have since applied a system patch to prevent the spread of the infection and said the affected cameras will be fixed within a few days. 

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