Cyber security experts reveal they have found a second massive computer virus which has affected hundreds of thousands of computers world-wide , like the WannaCry cyber attack Attack.Ransom last week , has affected hundreds of thousands of computers world-wide and may have North Korean origins . This second global hack exploits the same Microsoft vulnerabilities as the WannaCry attack Attack.Ransom and it is estimated to have infected more than 200,000 computers . The full scale of this attack , however , is still being determined due to the fact the attack is on-going . Preliminary analysis by California-based cyber security firm Proofpoint , which revealed the existence of this more subtle virus , suggests “ that this attack may be larger in scale than WannaCry ” , the company said in an online statement . Unlike last week ’ s attack which infected more than 300,000 computers since last Friday , this second cyber attack is thought to have begun either in late April or early May , but it had avoided being detected until recently , said Proofpoint researchers . Computers infected by this second virus do not have their functions altered , nor are their files encrypted . Instead , they manufacture digital currency . Proofpoint said the virus installs the Adylkuzz currency “ miner ” – a sort of malware which hijacks a computer ’ s processing power to solve complex math problems and earn digital money . There exists several different kinds of online currencies , the most famous being Bitcoin . But this second attack is designed to generate a newer form of digital cash called Monero . Monero offers enhanced anonymity features and is the currency of darknet market place AlphaBay . Experts also believe the currency has been pursued by North Korea-linked hacker groups . Proofpoint estimates this relatively unobtrusive computer virus generated more than a million euro – much more than what the WannaCry hackers extorted Attack.Ransom from their ransomware attack Attack.Ransom . A North Korean hacker group called the Lazarus Group is thought to be behind last week ’ s massive ransomware attack Attack.Ransom and now it is thought a segment of this hacker group may be behind the currency mining attack . Kapersky Lab , a cyber security firm , said a segment of the Lazarus group had installed software on a European server in early April to mine Monero currency , said Reuters . Proofpoint executive Ryan Kalember , speaking to Reuters , said he believes these two attacks are “ more than coincidence ” . “ It ’ s a really strong overlap ” , he told Reuters . “ It ’ s not like you see Monero miners all over the world . ”