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Tag: extortion

150 articles

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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.

Analyst 207
Helpdesk workers surrounded by cubicles, phones, and fluorescent lighting, with an atmosphere of unease and vulnerability.

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.

Analyst 207
Receptionist sitting at desk with phone and laptop, screens glowing blue.

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.

Analyst 207
Rows of cubicles with employees working on computers surrounded by papers and office supplies near a large window.

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.

Analyst 207
Laptop screen displays blurred code in a coding environment on a plain surface with papers and a notebook nearby.

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.

Analyst 207
Person receiving phone call in office setting with blurred phone screen and computer in background.

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.

Analyst 207
Cloud storage workstation with blank laptop screen and keyboard, symbolizing a data breach.

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.

Analyst 207
Locked cabinet with combination dial in a dimly lit, institutional office setting.

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.

Analyst 207
Blurred student data on a laptop screen in a brightly-lit school setting.

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?

Analyst 207
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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.

Analyst 207
Brightly-lit computer lab with laptops, including one with a blank screen, in a college or school setting.

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.

Analyst 207
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Instructure Thwarts ShinyHunters Data Leak with Agreement

Instructure has taken swift action to protect its community by reaching an agreement with the ShinyHunters extortion group, successfully retrieving stolen data and ensuring its destruction. This move puts the minds of its 30 million users at ease, prioritizing their security and well-being.

Analyst 207
Laptop screen on a plain surface with a blurred office background and subtle cloud connection hint.

Instructure Pays Ransom to ShinyHunters to Prevent 3.65TB Canvas Data Leak

In a stunning move, Instructure paid a ransom to the notorious ShinyHunters group to prevent a massive 3.65TB data leak from its Canvas learning-management system. The Utah-based company reached a deal with the hackers, securing the safe return of stolen data and a guarantee that its customers wouldn't be extorted individually.

Analyst 207
Empty college corridor with students and faculty showing subtle concern.

Instructure Discloses Double Breach Amid ShinyHunters' Data Leak Threat

In a shocking security breach, Instructure, the creator of Canvas, revealed not one, but two separate intrusions into its system, leaving thousands of schools and students scrambling for access to crucial course materials during final exams. The breaches come as an extortion group, ShinyHunters, threatens to leak a massive 3.65 TB of stolen data.

Analyst 207
Students and faculty walk down a brightly-lit school hallway, with a laptop on a desk in the foreground.

ShinyHunters Targets Education Sector with School-by-School Ransom Push

ShinyHunters has launched a targeted ransom attack on the education sector, exploiting a vulnerability in Canvas Learning Management System to steal a staggering 275 million records from nearly 9,000 schools and universities. The timing couldn't be more critical, with exams already underway and academic years wrapping up.

Analyst 207
Brightly-lit school hallway with laptops on desks, hinting at technology integration.

ShinyHunters Breach Exposes 9,000 Schools in Canvas Hack

A massive data breach has hit Canvas, a popular learning management system, with hackers claiming to have stolen several terabytes of sensitive data, including personal info for 275 million users, from 9,000 schools. The notorious ShinyHunters group is now demanding action, threatening to leak everything if their demands aren't met.

Analyst 207
Concerned students in a college computer lab check phones and laptops, with a login page hinting at a ransom message in the…

ShinyHunters Breach Disrupts Canvas Education Platform Nationwide

A massive cyberattack by ShinyHunters has disrupted the Canvas Education Platform nationwide, with hackers defacing login pages and holding sensitive data on 275 million students and faculty hostage. The breach forced Instructure to pull Canvas offline, leaving students and faculty in the dark.

Analyst 207
Rows of computer servers with flickering screens and dimmed lights suggest a breach or disruption in a technology company's…

RansomHouse Hackers Claim Breach of Trellix Source Code

Trellix has confirmed a breach of its source code repository, with hackers from the notorious RansomHouse group claiming to have accessed and encrypted sensitive data on April 17. The group has even posted leaked screenshots to back up its claims.

Analyst 207
Blurred laptop screen shows Canvas login page in bright college library setting.

ShinyHunters Breach Exposes 330 Colleges in Canvas Hack

The notorious ShinyHunters gang has breached Instructure's Canvas, exposing a staggering 330 colleges to a devastating hack, and issued a chilling ultimatum with a May 2026 deadline to negotiate. The attackers replaced login pages with an extortion message, demanding schools seek cyber advisory help and secretly reach out to settle.

Analyst 207
A blurred figure in a suit sits or stands with their back to the camera in a government building interior with a judge's…

Karakurt Ransomware Operative Sentenced for Extortion Role

Meet Deniss Zolotarjovs, a Latvian national who helped his ransomware gang extort dozens of companies - and even a government entity with a crippled 911 system - by leveraging stolen sensitive data, including children's health information. He's now facing 8.5 years in prison for his role in the Karakurt extortion operation.

Analyst 207
Rows of computer equipment and cables in a brightly-lit server room or network operations center.

Pro-Iran Hackers Extort Canonical with Sustained DDoS Attacks

Canonical, the company behind Ubuntu, is battling a relentless cyber assault, with its website crippled by a sustained Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack that has left its main site inaccessible. The Islamic Cyber Resistance in Iraq, also known as 313 Team, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Analyst 207
Two men in formal attire sit in a courtroom with a judge's bench in the background under natural light.

US Cybersecurity Workers Jailed for Aiding BlackCat Ransomware Gang

Meet Ryan Goldberg and Kevin Martin, two cybersecurity experts who abused their skills to line their pockets by aiding the notorious BlackCat ransomware gang. They've been sentenced to four years in prison for their roles in facilitating devastating ransomware attacks.

Analyst 207
Formal courthouse interior with podium and judge's bench under tall windows.

Ransomware Negotiators Sentenced for BlackCat Attacks

Two former cybersecurity experts, who once worked to protect companies, were sentenced to four years in prison for using their skills to extort US businesses as affiliates of the notorious BlackCat ransomware gang. They exploited their specialized knowledge to orchestrate attacks on US companies, leaving a trail of devastation in their wake.

Analyst 207
Law enforcement officials gather outside a government building with daylight streaming through tall windows.

US Charges Scattered Spider Hacker with Extortion, Cyber Intrusion

A 19-year-old hacker, known online as "Bouquet," has been arrested in Finland and charged in the US with extortion and cyber intrusion as a key player in the notorious Scattered Spider hacking collective. The dual US and Estonian citizen was caught at Helsinki airport while trying to flee to Japan.

Analyst 207