Bitcoin Ransomware That Infiltrated 100 US Enterprises Spreads to China

A ransomware virus that has successfully infiltrated more than 100 government and private enterprises in the U.S. and internationally has been detected in China, according to a recent Tencent Security report.

Dubbed Ryuk, the pernicious code targets “logistics companies, technology companies and small municipalities” with high data value, demanding bounties upward of $5 million paid in bitcoin, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

In January, Ryuk was thought to be behind a hack of Tribune Publishing, affecting all of the media conglomerate’s outlets. In June, officials in Lake City, Florida paid out a $460,000 ransom after the city’s computer systems went dark. This was two weeks after Riviera Beach, Florida’s $600,000 hijacking.

Ryuk is thought to be a modified version of the Hermes virus, which debuted in August 2018. It spreads through the usual botnet and spam methods, and infiltrates through undefended IP ports.

Once installed, the…