Tag: extortion
115 articles
Abbott Labs Probes Two Cyber Incidents Amid Extortion Claims
Abbott Laboratories is investigating a cyber incident that involved unauthorized access to a limited number of internal systems within its Cancer Diagnostics business, and has activated incident response procedures to address the issue. The company confirms that its operations remain unaffected and that the affected systems are separate from its other businesses and systems.
Armenian National Pleads Guilty to Ryuk Ransomware Conspiracy
Karen Serobovich Vardanyan, an Armenian national, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges for his role in a massive Ryuk ransomware scheme that raked in over $15 million in ransom payments from US-based organizations. The guilty plea marks a major win in the fight against cybercrime, as Vardanyan admitted to his part in the global extortion plot.
Ransomware Negotiator Sentenced for Aiding BlackCat Extortions
A ransomware negotiator turned double agent, Angelo Martino, has been sentenced to 70 months in prison for betraying his clients and working with BlackCat to drive up ransoms for personal gain. Martino's shocking deceit involved selling out his clients' confidential negotiating positions to the very cybercriminals he was hired to thwart.
Ransomware Negotiator Sentenced for Duping Clients in $75.3 Million Extortion Scheme
A trusted ransomware negotiator turned double agent, Angelo Martino betrayed his clients, funneling their confidential info to BlackCat affiliates and lining his pockets with a share of their ransoms, leaving a trail of devastated businesses in his wake. His deceit raked in $75.3 million for him and his co-conspirators.
AI-Powered Attacks Rapidly Compromise Cloud Targets
The increasing accessibility of large language models and agentic AI has empowered even less sophisticated threat actors to launch lightning-fast attacks with unprecedented scale, significantly ramping up the challenge for defenders. This alarming trend enables attackers to accelerate their workflows and compromise cloud targets at an unprecedented pace.
ShinyHunters Breach Exposes 2.3M Moody Bible Institute Accounts
A massive data breach at Moody Bible Institute has exposed the sensitive information of over 2.3 million people, including names, addresses, phone numbers, and more, after being targeted by the notorious extortion group ShinyHunters. The stolen data, which was leaked on June 23, puts countless individuals at risk of identity theft and cyber attacks.
US Government Entity Pays $1 Million to Thwart Data Leak
A US government entity was forced to pay a hefty $1 million ransom to prevent a massive data leak, after a group called Kairos threatened to release 1.6 million files unless their demand was met. The payment was the culmination of a month-long negotiation that began with a $3 million opening demand.
Ransomware Groups Adopt Corporate Structure to Extort Victims
Meet Black Basta, a ransomware group that operated like a corporate powerhouse, launching attacks on 520 victims across 39 industries and raking in at least $107 million in bitcoin payments. With a structured team, set schedules, and outsourced tasks, this syndicate's business model was surprisingly sophisticated.
Blackfield Ransomware Targets Nidec with $2 Million Extortion Demand
Nidec Corporation revealed that its Taiwanese subsidiary was hit by a Blackfield ransomware attack, prompting swift emergency measures to contain the breach and prevent further damage. The hackers are now demanding a whopping $2 million in extortion, threatening to leak sensitive data if their demands aren't met.
ShinyHunters Breach Exposes NAIC's Public Data
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) revealed that a breach exposed its public data after an unauthorized third party exploited a PeopleSoft vulnerability, identified as CVE-2026-35273, tied to the notorious ShinyHunters extortion group. This security issue allowed attackers to gain access to a portion of NAIC's IT systems, compromising sensitive information.
Ransomware Attacks Shift to Data Theft Tactics
Ransomware attacks have taken a sinister turn, with a growing number of hackers ditching decryption keys and instead using stolen data to extort their victims. In fact, a recent report found that a whopping 87% of ransomware claims now involve data theft, with encryption becoming a thing of the past.
ShinyHunters Targets Oracle PeopleSoft Servers in Widespread Data Theft Attacks
ShinyHunters, a notorious extortion group, has launched a massive data theft campaign targeting Oracle PeopleSoft servers, compromising over 300 instances across 100+ organizations, with a significant impact on the education sector. The attackers have brazenly claimed responsibility, boasting of their exploits in a chilling conversation with BleepingComputer.
Silent Ransom Group Exploits Law Firms with Fake IT Support Scams
Law firms are being targeted by the Silent Ransom Group through clever fake IT support scams, putting sensitive client information at risk. This sophisticated attack starts with innocent-looking invoice emails that trick victims into calling a phone number, initiating a chain of events that can lead to devastating consequences.
Mandiant Exposes UNC3753's US Law Firm Data Heist Tactics
Beware of UNC3753, a notorious group that's been stealing sensitive data from US law firms and other professional services, using clever vishing tactics and lightning-fast intrusions to extort their victims. In some cases, they can go from initial contact to data theft in under an hour.
Ransomware Gang Pink Exploits Helpdesk Calls to Steal Credentials
Meet Pink, a notorious ransomware gang that's exploiting helpdesk calls to steal sensitive credentials using clever tactics like vishing and IT impersonation. They're using these stolen secrets to exfiltrate valuable data from enterprise cloud storage and productivity systems, leaving victims with a tough choice: pay up or face the consequences.
Cybercriminals Impersonate IT Personnel in Targeted Attacks
Cybercriminals are now masquerading as IT personnel to launch targeted attacks, with the FBI warning that law firms and professional sectors are prime targets. This new tactic allows groups like the Silent Ransom Group to swiftly access and exfiltrate sensitive data, often without encrypting systems.
Charter Breach Exposes Millions of Customer Records
Millions of customer records have been exposed in a shocking data breach at Charter Communications, with the company swiftly confirming the incident and assuring customers that sensitive personal info remains safe. The breach, reportedly involving 40 million records, has triggered a thorough investigation and cooperation with authorities.
Grafana Labs Discloses Source Code Theft by Hackers
Hackers recently breached Grafana Labs' security, gaining unauthorized access to a GitHub token that allowed them to download the company's source code, and subsequently attempting to extort payment to keep it under wraps. The incident was swiftly investigated, and the compromised token was promptly invalidated.
Google Exposes BlackFile Extortion Operation's Tactics
Google's Threat Intelligence Group just exposed the clever tactics of the notorious BlackFile extortion operation, revealing how they use voice phishing and sneaky tech tricks to swindle dozens of organizations worldwide. Their clever scheme starts with a simple phone call, where fake IT helpers trick victims into spilling their secrets.
ShinyHunters Fuel Surge in Data Leaks
Meet the ShinyHunters, a notorious group behind a surge in public data leaks, who team up with The Com to scam victims out of cloud system access and then hold their data for ransom. This duo's alarming tactic has resulted in a steady stream of sensitive information being dumped into the public domain.
Ransomware Gangs Test Trust with Data Deletion Promises
Can you ever trust a ransomware gang's promise to delete stolen data? The recent Instructure breach has brought this question to the forefront, leaving victims wondering if paying up is worth the risk of broken promises.
Ransomware Gang Targets Canvas, Exposes Student Data Risks
A ransomware gang claimed to have stolen data from 275 million students, teachers, and staff, but Instructure, the company behind Canvas, says it's reached a deal with the hackers and has digital proof that the data has been destroyed. But can we really trust that the threat has passed?
TeamPCP hackers target Mistral AI code repos for sale
Hackers from TeamPCP are demanding $25,000 for nearly 5 gigabytes of stolen Mistral AI code, threatening to leak it for free if they don't find a buyer within a week. The group claims to have snagged around 450 internal repositories, including sensitive source code used for training and model delivery.
US House Panel Probes Instructure Over Massive Canvas Cyberattack
A massive cyberattack on Instructure's Canvas platform has sparked a congressional investigation, after hackers claimed to have stolen a staggering 280 million data records from nearly 9,000 schools and online education platforms. The breach has left schools reeling, especially during final exams, and is raising urgent questions about data security.