The cyber attack, which locks a computer's files and demands they pay hundreds of pounds in Bitcoin, sparked a global security crisis earlier this month, taking down hundreds of thousands of PCs and bringing NHS services to a halt.

But WannaCry has also been seized upon by office pranksters, who have changed their colleagues' desktop backgrounds to make it appear as if the debilitating virus has hit their computers.
Among the cruellest joke one can play a co-worker, it is also a salutary lesson in locking your computer if you leave it unattended.

Chris Plummer, an IT security expert, carried out the prank after a colleague left his machine unlocked over the weekend, leaving the victim phoning for help in an attempt to resolve the matter.



The prank had to be cut short after the support worker was not let in on the joke, although Plummer pointed out it was a good lesson in leaving computers unlocked.

While the initial outbreak of WannaCry was stemmed by Marcus Hutchins, an British IT expert, there have been warnings that the attack could return as cyber criminals find new ways to exploit computer security vulnerabilities.

This week researchers linked the attack to the Lazarus Group, hackers believed to be close to North Korea.

More about: #wannacry   #cybersecurity   #prank