The ransomware worm that spread to computers across the world this week wiggled its way into Merck & Co.’s computer network across Montgomery County.

“We confirm our company’s computer network was compromised today as part of a global hack,” a Tuesday statement from Merck read.

The digital infection worked by holding company data hostage through encryption until a ransom payment was made, according to a Philly.com report by Chris Mondics.

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The same cyberattack that hit Merck also wreaked havoc as close as Saint-Gobain in Malvern and as far away as the Ukraine and India. Cybersecurity experts described it as a virus similar to Petya, which spreads quickly like the WannaCry worm attack in May linked to North Korean hackers.

“Once you unleash something that propagates in this manner, it’s impossible to control,” said Symantec Senior Policy Counsel Bill Wright.

However, systems that updated Windows with a March patch were protected against the attack, Wright noted.

Read more about the cyberattack against Merck on Philly.com here, and check out previous MONTCO Today coverage of the company here.

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