But as the custodian of a major piece of the nations cyberinfrastructure, the company is bound to come under scrutiny over the quality of its protections and its transparency about how it responded to the attack. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. About a decade ago, Iran was blamed for an attack on the computer systems of Saudi Aramco, one of the worlds largest oil producers, that destroyed 30,000 computers. Cyberattack Forces a Shutdown of a Top U.S. To illustrate the impact of the cyber attack, Coop, a Swedish supermarket chain, was forced to close 800 stores for a full week. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. "A small amount of HSE data has appeared on the 'dark web', a part of the internet which can only be accessed using special programmes. Is AppleCare+ worth it for enterprise organizations? Shortly after the invasion, 27 government institutions in Costa Rica suffered ransomware attacks by another Russian group, Conti, forcing the countrys president to declare a national state of emergency. So what does that mean? "We currently have three Huntress partners who are impacted with roughly 200 businesses that have been encrypted," Hammond said. The MOVEit breach is another example of government agencies falling victim to organized cybercrime by Russian groups, as ransomware campaigns aimed broadly at Western targets have repeatedly shut down critical civilian infrastructure including hospitals, energy systems and city services. According to Fortune.com, the alleged hackers are suspected of involvement in about 5,000 ransomware infections and received about half a million Euros ($579,000) in ransom payments.. As most Americans are directly impacted by gasoline shortages, this attack hit close to home for many consumers. So we do not support the payment of the ransomware. The Energy Department said on Thursday that records from two entities within the department had been compromised and that it had notified Congress and C.I.S.A. While the NRA did not confirm the ransomware attack or issue a public statement, it did respond on Twitter. As Touro College Illinois Cybersecurity Program Director Joe Giordano notes, The Colonial Pipeline attack made such an impact because the pipeline is an important part of the national critical infrastructure system. It's no accident that this happened before the Fourth of July weekend, when IT staffing is generally thin, he added. May 21, 2021 8:54am Updated More On: Multiple US government agencies hit in global hacking campaign: report Prince Harry's cross examination ends after over seven hours Teen bragged 'fraud is fun'. "The decision was made to pay the ransom. Recent Cyber Attacks in 2022 | Fortinet Dole Food Company - one of the world's largest suppliers of fresh fruit and vegetables, has disclosed that it has been affected by a ransomware attack that disrupted its operations. The cause behind the long downtime is unclear. SolarWinds. According to NBC News, Teiranni Kidd sued Springhill Medical Center in Alabama after a botched delivery. Federal agencies recommend not paying hackers ransom. Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals, Reporting by Raphael Satter; Additional reporting by Praveen Menon in Wellington, New Zealand. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world's media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers. But it was shut down quickly, and investigators later attributed it to Russian hackers. @nicoleperlroth, A version of this article appears in print on, Cyberattack Forces a Shutdown of a Top U.S. Privacy Policy But they expressed no such regret about the disruption in Sweden. Colonial, however, had to explain why gasoline and jet fuel were no longer flowing to its customers, and on Friday, the markets began to react as speculation swirled about whether an accident, a maintenance problem or a cyberincident accounted for the shutdown. Although most of those affected have been small concerns - like dentists' offices or accountants - the disruption has been felt more keenly in Sweden, where hundreds of supermarkets had to close because their cash registers were inoperative, or New Zealand, where schools and kindergartens were knocked offline. 20 companies affected by major ransomware attacks in 2021 F5. Millions of Americans' personal data exposed in global hack This massive payment in bitcoin is one of the largest ransomware payments of all time. One of the nations largest pipelines, which carries refined gasoline and jet fuel from Texas up the East Coast to New York, was forced to shut down after being hit by ransomware in a vivid demonstration of the vulnerability of energy infrastructure to cyberattacks. AI can never be given control over combat decisions, Lords told, SGN pens IT service desk outsourcing deal, NHS data stolen in Manchester Uni ransomware attack, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Work has included investigations into state-sponsored espionage, deepfake-driven propaganda, and mercenary hacking. At the end of March, Applus Technologies, which provides testing equipment to state vehicle inspection stations, suffered a ransomware attack that disrupted its systems for weeks and knocked inspection services offline across several states. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. A slow-motion mass ransomware attack has been unfolding over nearly two months, with new victims like Procter & Gamble and a U.K. pension fund acknowledging as recently as last week that they were . Jen Easterly, the director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, described the breach as largely opportunistic and neither focused on specific high-valuable information nor as damaging as previous cyberattacks on U.S. government agencies. Leaked personal data could include names, addresses, contact phone numbers and email addresses. According to the screenshot, LockBit claimed to have encrypted BTC-Alpha's data, a common tactic employed by ransomware gangs to pressure victims into paying. At the end of October, reports surfaced that the National Rifle Association (NRA) was the victim of a ransomware attack after Grief ransomware operators posted alleged confidential data to its public leak site. As we said before, at this time, it is unknown . JBS said it was in constant contact with federal officials, and while investigations are ongoing, "preliminary investigation results confirm that no company, customer or employee data was compromised.". In many cases, the full extent of the attack was not disclosed. During times of crisis, many hackers take advantage of upheaval and disorder and look for potential monetary gain. CrowdStrike. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. It's Now A National Security Risk, Put Your Wallet Away. The same Russia-based hacking group that attacked Acer, REvil, is thought to be behind the attack. A representative for MOVEit, which is owned by Progress Software, said the company had engaged with federal law enforcement and other agencies and would combat increasingly sophisticated and persistent cybercriminals intent on maliciously exploiting vulnerabilities in widely used software products. The company originally identified the vulnerability in its software in May, issuing a patch, and C.I.S.A. Over the course of the year, over 600 hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare organizations were impacted by 92 ransomware attacks. The school system resumed operations on March 22. CNN Hackers stole data belonging to multiple electric utilities in an October ransomware attack on a US government contractor that handles critical infrastructure projects across the country,. On May 7, Colonial Pipeline Co. learned it was the victim of a ransomware attack, which disrupted fuel supply to much of the U.S. East Coast for several days. Weve seen ransomware start hitting soft targets like hospitals and municipalities, where losing access has real-world consequences and makes victims more likely to pay, said Ulf Lindqvist, a director at SRI International who specializes in threats to industrial systems. declined to comment on whether their agencies were affected. As of a statement on October 18, Sinclair said it "cannot determine" the attack's "material impact on its business, operations or financial results.". The group stated it had no interest in exploiting any data stolen from governmental or police offices and had deleted it, focusing only on stolen business information. He said thousand of computers were hit. As of this posting, no ransom payments have been made. Carmakal said the VPN password, believed to be the earliest attack vector, may have been used on another compromised website. There isn't a perfect PC lifecycle plan for all organizations, so IT teams and management should ask themselves these four HPE is entering the AI public cloud provider market -- but is it ready? 3 July 2021 Getty Images About 200 US businesses have been hit by a "colossal" ransomware attack, according to a cyber-security firm. A Colonial Pipeline facility in Pelham, Ala. Both of the men arrested in November may face life in prison. An Applus statement referred to the service as only "temporarily interrupted," but weeks later, vehicle inspections were still postponed. But in recent months, Russian ransomware groups have also engaged in ostensibly political attacks with tacit approval by the Russian government, homing in on countries that have supported Ukraine since Russias invasion last year. Natural gas supplier Superior Plus Corp. confirmed it was the victim of a ransomware attack that occurred on Dec. 12. Businesses have responded by investing in cybersecurity measures, keeping the global cybersecurity market on pace to reach $657 billion by 2030. Cyberattacks originating in Russia were already a point of contention in U.S.-Russian relations before the war in Ukraine. According to the article, Kidd and her child received diminished care and missed key tests that could have prevented the babys severe brain injury, which led to her death nine months later. 17 Publicly Traded Cybersecurity Companies to Follow | Built In In a statement on its website, Kaseya attributed the attack to the exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities in the on-premises version of its VSA product. CNAs networkwas attacked on March 21and the hacker group encrypted 15,000 devices, including many computers of employees working remotely. Reporting from Washington. It's unclear what the ransom demand was or whether the nonprofit organization paid it. The ransomware attack is the second known such incident aimed at a pipeline operator. Hacks Are Prompting Calls For A Cyber Agreement, But Reaching One Would Be Tough, U.S. Ransomware: A company paid millions to get their data back, but - ZDNET Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Over the past week, gasoline prices have risen nationwide by 6 cents per gallon, according to the AAA motor club, as global oil prices have risen rapidly. [ALERT] LockBit ransomware gang has announced "Cryptocurrency Exchange" on the victim list. That makes for an easier recovery, he said. The Biden administration announced sanctions against Russia last month for SolarWinds, and the executive order it is expected to issue would take steps to secure critical infrastructure, including requiring enhanced security for vendors providing services to the federal government. In recent months, officials note, the frequency and sophistication of ransomware attacks have soared, crippling victims as varied as the District of Columbia police department, hospitals treating coronavirus patients and manufacturers, which frequently try to hide the attacks out of embarrassment that their systems were pierced. Copyright 2000 - 2023, TechTarget One significant concern was the ransomware attack's impact on employee paychecks, since the HR systems provider is widely known for its payroll and time management systems. Using wiretapping and other methods, police were able to access group infrastructure and track down the alleged hackers. On Sunday the White House said it was checking to see whether there was any "national risk" posed by ransomware outbreak but Voccola said that - so far - he was not aware of any nationally important organizations being hit. Administration officials said they believed the attack was the act of a criminal group, rather than a nation seeking to disrupt critical infrastructure in the United States. Malicious actors then demand ransom in exchange for decryption. The issue was at the top of the White Houses agenda when President Biden met with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia in 2021. pic.twitter.com/pA2bh1Vmte. On June 10th, it was confirmed that JSB paid the $11 million ransom demand after consulting with cybersecurity experts. Representatives for the State Department and the F.B.I. official said only a small number of federal agencies had been affected, but declined to identify which ones they were. On May 4, the Conti ransomware group breached the ExaGrid corporate network and stole internal documents. It could snarl things up because it is the countrys jugular aorta for moving fuel from the Gulf Coast up to New York.. Ransomware attacks on Colonial Pipeline, JBS Foods, and other major organizations made headlines in 2021, and show no sign of slowing down. The federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said in a statement late Friday that it is closely monitoring the situation and working with the FBI to collect more information about its impact. Conduct Internet research and identify a company that was recently held added it to its online catalog of known vulnerabilities on June 2. Up to 1,500 businesses affected by ransomware attack, U.S - Reuters REvil hackers exploited a vulnerability in a Microsoft Exchange server to get access to Acers files and leaked images of sensitive financial documents and spreadsheets. "No comment on anything to do with negotiating with terrorists in any way.". Russian Ransomware Group Breached Federal Agencies in Cyberattack Kaseya: The massive ransomware attack compromised up to 1,500 businesses 01:41 - Source: CNNBusiness 5 of the biggest data breaches 01:43 Kaseya: The massive ransomware attack compromised up to. (ZDNet), Soon after the attack, the FBI gained access to REvils servers and obtained the encryption keys to resolve the hack. A senior C.I.S.A. Fallout of the attack continued into 2022. Clop, the ransomware gang responsible for exploiting a critical security vulnerability in a popular corporate file transfer tool, has begun listing victims of the mass-hacks, including a number of . On Saturday, as the F.B.I., the Energy Department and the White House delved into the details, Colonial Pipeline acknowledged that its corporate computer networks had been hit by a ransomware attack, in which criminal groups hold data hostage until the victim pays a ransom. June 15, 2023, 7:37 p.m. According to data collected by the company GovSpend, a number of government agencies have purchased the MOVEit software, including NASA, the Treasury Department, Health and Human Services and arms of the Defense Department. Ransomware attacks on Colonial Pipeline, JBS Foods, and other major organizations made headlines in 2021, and show no sign of slowing down. When more organizations start to take cybersecurity seriously and invest the time and resources to combat threats, well start to see these threats diminish.. While productivity was impacted, as of Oct. 22, work had resumed in "select manufacturing facilities," and shipping operations were almost back to normal, according to the company. Active since April 2019, the group known as REvil provides ransomware-as-a-service, meaning it develops the network-paralyzing software and leases it to so-called affiliates who infect targets and earn the lion's share of ransoms. Restoration was not fully complete until May 12. But actual attacks on energy systems are rare. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. McAfee. The attack also saw login credential data, including usernames and . @zjmontague, A version of this article appears in print on, Russian Ransomware Group Breached Federal Agencies in Cyberattack, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/15/us/politics/russian-ransomware-cyberattack-clop-moveit.html. CNA said the investigation "identified the scope of impacted data in the incident as well as the servers on which the data resided." But he could not share more information as the investigation was still underway. By May, REvil seemed to have called off the attack. Although REvil is still an active player in the world of cybercrime, authorities hope to find and prosecute more hackers and end their operations. "We don't believe that they were in our network," he said. It was later revealed that Colonial paid a $4.4 million demand, despite having backups, to get back online as soon as possible. Meat supplier JBS, which was the victim of a ransomware attack over Memorial Day weekend, paid $11 million in bitcoins to the hackers that penetrated their system, the company announced Wednesday night. Boston, Mass. Rapid7. WASHINGTON - The U.S. Energy Department and other federal agencies were hit by a worldwide hacking campaign that appears to be part of a widespread and coordinated effort to exploit a . Asked about the possibility that Clop was acting in coordination with the Russian government, the C.I.S.A. "We're not looking at massive critical infrastructure," he said. Another attack on a Saudi petrochemical plant in 2017 nearly set off a major industrial disaster. Middle Atlantic and New England states have substantial supplies, the analysis service reported. Despite the disruptions, Ireland's public health network said it would not pay the ransom and neither would the government. A gas station in Queens. JBS Paid $11 Million to Resolve Ransomware Attack - WSJ Although we are very concerned about this campaign, this is not a campaign like SolarWinds that poses a systemic risk, Ms. Easterly told reporters on Thursday, referring to the massive breach that compromised several U.S. intelligence agencies in 2020. During the call, Biden pressured Putin to take a stronger stance on targeting malicious agents in his country. While the ransomware affected only IT systems, the company shut down its pipeline operations as a precautionary measure. Days after Colonial Pipeline Co. disclosed paying a hefty ransom, JBS USA confirmed the REvil ransomware group hit the global beef manufacturer on May 30, forcing the company to shut down operations. Some East Coast residents tried to hoard gasoline in flammable plastic bags and bins, and one car even caught on fire. After the chaos receded, government officials confirmed that Colonial Pipelines cybersecurity measures were not up to par and may have been prevented if stronger protection was in place. Recent ransomware attacks have targeted a wide range of high-profile organizations and companies, including Colonial Pipeline, an oil pipeline system. It contained a link to a REvil ransomware demand for $50 million in Monero cryptocurrency. According to the U.S. Governments Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Assurance Agency (CISA): Ransomware is an ever-evolving form of malware designed to encrypt files on a device, rendering any files and the systems that rely on them unusable. A Colonial . Astudy by Comparitechhas shown that ransomware attacks had a huge financial impact on the healthcare sector, with over $20 billion lost in impacted revenue, lawsuits, and ransom paid in 2020 alone. In mid-April of this year, the hacker group Babuk claimed to have stolen 500 GB of confidential data concerning the Houston Rockets. Acer hit by apparent attack from REvil ransomware Prosimo offers free multi-cloud connectivity, Cisco to add SamKnows broadband visibility to ThousandEyes, Tech integration partnerships can help boost IT productivity, 8 blockchain-as-a-service providers to have on your radar, Ultimate guide to digital transformation for enterprise leaders. Johns Hopkins University, the University System of Georgia, and the European oil and gas giant Shell have released similar statements on the attack. Essentially, AXA stated they would stop reimbursing many of their clients for ransomware payments. She is the bestselling author of the book, This Is How They Tell Me The World Ends, about the global cyber arms race. US companies hit by 'colossal' cyber-attack - BBC News AXA said a dedicated task force with external forensic experts was investigating the situation and regulators and business partners were informed. (The New York Times). The two most recent arrests were the result of collaboration between 17 countries, including major world powers like the U.S., U.K. and France. Best practices for reporting ransomware attacks, 3 ransomware distribution methods popular with attackers, Ransomware attack case study: Recovery can be painful, Ransomware negotiations: An inside look at the process. Some experts believe the full fallout from the hack will come into focus on Tuesday, when Americans return from their July Fourth holiday weekend. The industry leader for online information for tax, accounting and finance professionals. Although it was a little more than half of the original demand, it still stands as one of the highest ransomware payments in history. It said the attack was limited to a "small number" of its customers. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, ransomware attacks on critical infrastructures, schools and healthcare networks, How to create a ransomware incident response plan, 20 companies affected by major ransomware attacks in 2021, 17 ransomware removal tools to protect enterprise networks, potential security incident against Sinclair Broadcast Group, Demystifying the myths of public cloud computing, Evolve your Endpoint Security Strategy Past Antivirus and into the Cloud, Towards an Autonomous Vehicle Enabled Society: Cyber Attacks and Countermeasures, Five Tips to Improve a Threat and Vulnerability Management Program, Protect Your Data and Recover From Cyber Attacks, Defeating Ransomware With Recovery From Backup, JBS USA paid $11M ransom to REvil hackers, Kaseya obtains universal ransomware decryptor. Ping Identity. CISA urged anyone who might be affected to "follow Kaseya's guidance to shut down VSA servers immediately." There have been others, but they were fairly minor, he said. But, the official added, initial reports from the private sector suggested that at least several hundred companies and organizations had been affected. Here are 10 U.S. companies that experienced recent security breaches, which compromised their customers' sensitive information: Target - In December 2013, Target announced a massive breach of its in-store payment system, where hackers stole some 40 million credit and debit card numbers. The United States has long warned that Russia has implanted malicious code in the electric utility networks, and the United States responded several years ago by putting similar code into the Russian grid. Brett Callow, a ransomware expert at the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, said he was unaware of any previous ransomware supply-chain attack on this scale. Cybersecurity researcher Jake Williams, president of Rendition Infosec, said he was already working with six companies hit by the ransomware. BTC-Alpha founder and CEO Vitalii Bodnar has since attributed the attack to a competitor and said he "doubts the attack was related to LockBit." Read more about its AI offerings for HPE GreenLake and HPE's Bryan Thompson talks about how HPE GreenLake has become synonymous with the brand, and looks to its future and how the AWS offers its customers several options to minimize application latency.