WannaCry good biz for cyber security firms

Cyber security firm Sophos stock jumped more than 7% to set a record high

For Kris Hagerman, chief executive of UK-based cyber security firm Sophos Group Plc, the past week could have been bad. The WannaCry "ransomware" attack hobbled some of its hospital customers in Britain's National Health Service, forcing them to turn away ambulances and cancel surgeries.

The company quickly removed a boast on its website that “The NHS is totally protected with Sophos.” In many industries, that sort of stumble would likely hit a company's reputation hard.

Yet on Monday, three days after the global malware attack was first detected, Sophos stock jumped more than seven per cent to set a record high and