A US hospital has paid hackers $55,000 (£39,900) to restore control of its computer systems after they were infected with a strain of ransomware known as "SamSam".
UK's spy nerve centre hopes old cypher will pique interest of young girls who have code-breaking knack and inspire them to join the service as adults.
Skygofree dubbed "one of the most powerful spyware tools" ever spotted exposed by cybersecurity researchers.
Researchers say hackers are constantly looking to exploit anxious users, particularly during widely publicised events such as the recently disclosed Meltdown and Spectre flaws.
The latest attacks come as hackers increasingly target cryptocurrency using various nefarious methods amid the growing popularity and value of virtual currency.
The website was abruptly shut down in January 2017 leading many to believe the service was raided by law enforcement.
The critical vulnerability in the popular Transmission BitTorrent app was exposed by Google Project Zero researchers.
A 24-year-old cybercriminal who ran an online "product-testing service" for criminal hackers called reFUD.me has pleaded guilty to computer misuse and money laundering.
Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus has launched an investigation after a number of customers who used its website to purchase products complained of attempted fraud.
