Expert warns critical flaw could cause wider disruption to websites

A critical security flaw has taken websites offline around the world, and the disruption could spread further. That is the warning an expert gave Sky News; the expert's name and job title are not given in the available excerpt of the report.

According to the expert, the problem has already forced websites offline in several places, but this may not be the end of it. The expert said the disruption could become "more widespread", and Sky News's headline refers to fears of a wider wave of attacks.

The available information does not say what the flaw is, which sites have been hit, which software or service is affected, or who is behind the attacks. It also gives no figure for how many websites have been affected overall.

In this context, a vulnerability is a weakness in software or a system that attackers can exploit to knock services offline or take control of them. A flaw described as critical signals a high level of risk, though full technical details have not been made public in this case.

The situation is still developing, and more detail is expected once experts or the affected companies provide it.