Latest US ransomware attack could hit 1,000 businesses

A ransomware attack on a United States IT company potentially targeted 1,000 businesses, researchers said, with one of Sweden's biggest supermarket chains revealing it had to temporarily close about 800 stores after losing access to its checkouts.

Russian-based hackers have been blamed for a string of ransomware attacks, and US President Joe Biden recently raised the threat in talks with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Biden ordered a full investigation, while adding "the initial thinking was it was not the Russian government, but we're not sure yet."

The IT company targeted, Kaseya, said it had limited the attack to "a very small percentage of our customers" who use its signature VSA software - "currently estimated at fewer than 40 worldwide." But cybersecurity firm Huntress Labs said the software was manipulated "to encrypt more than 1,000 companies."

The New Zealand government's Computer Emergency Response Team said the attackers were from a hacking group known as REvil. The FBI said REvil was also behind last month's attack on JBS, one of the world's biggest meat processors, which ended with the Brazil-based company paying bitcoin worth US$11 million (HK$85.8 million) to the hackers.