Alabama state websites down due to DDoS attacks
Alabama state websites experienced a cyber disruption today as several government URLs were targeted by a sophisticated attack initially thought to be a variant of Ransomware but later identified as a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. The Alabama Office of Information Technology assured that there was no data breach during the incident, and the hackers only managed to briefly disrupt the systems. Interestingly, this incident occurred shortly after a similar cyber incident in France the previous week.
MadCat ransomware on the prowl
A new ransomware variant dubbed “MadCat” has emerged, with its operators attempting to deceive fellow cybercriminals by offering to sell stolen passport details of prominent figures from politics and Hollywood. A screenshot circulating on the internet claims to show 230,899 passport details of Polish citizens for sale. The criminal group behind MadCat demands 20 Monero cryptocurrency in exchange for the data, but instead of providing the promised information, they vanish after receiving payment through their Telegram channel.
Nissan data breach impacts about 100,000 people
Nissan Oceania, which made headlines last month due to a cyber attack, has reported that the breach potentially affected over 100,000 customers. Personal details such as employee information, NDAs, project data, design schematics, and partner/client information may have been compromised. The Akira Ransomware gang is suspected to be responsible for the attack, with a history of targeting companies like Mitsubishi, Renault, Skyline, Infiniti, LDV, RAM, and BYD.
Rhysida Ransomware claims to have sold data from servers related to Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
The Rhysida Ransomware group claims to have sold stolen data from Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago after the hospital failed to meet their ransom demands or engage in negotiations. The hackers accessed data from MyChart systems, potentially compromising sensitive patient information.
Change Healthcare Ransomware incident to be probed by the government
The United States government has launched an investigation into a ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, which caused disruptions in medicine supply chains across the country due to payment processing delays. The probe, overseen by the Office for Civil Rights and monitored by a special team from the US Department of Health & Human Services, commenced on February 20th, 2024, the day the incident was discovered. The American Hospital Association estimates potential losses of up to $100 million for medical suppliers affected by such attacks.
FlagStar bank paid $1 million to CLOP Ransomware gang
FlagStar bank reportedly paid $1 million to the CLOP Ransomware gang after the group exploited vulnerabilities in MoveIT software to encrypt the bank’s data. Despite the illegal nature of the payment under American laws, if substantial evidence is found, the bank could face heavy penalties, and technology staff might also face legal consequences. The incident resulted in the leakage of information belonging to 800,000 US customers, with sensitive details like social security numbers potentially compromised.
Stanford University disclosed more information about ransomware attack
Stanford University has released a statement that information about 27,000 people was stolen by hackers who launched a ransomware attack on servers operating for Department of Public Safety Networks. Akira Ransomware group has claimed to have launched the at-tack to steal over 400GB of information from the educational institutes’ repository.
