Qihoo 360 cracks ransomware virus

Colleges and gas stations in China among the hardest hit, expert says

The unprecedented spread of ransomware that has swept across more than 100 countries since Friday has been cracked by a Chinese tech company - at least in part.

Qihoo 360, a major internet security company in China, issued a software patch at 3 am on Sunday that can recover the data encrypted by the unidentified attackers. The software can operate without internet access, and customers do not need to pay for it.