The City of Augusta in the United States has been struggling to regain control of its computer network as hackers spread ransomware, reportedly stealing data and encrypting the database until a ransom is paid.
To substantiate their claims, the BlackByte ransomware group, responsible for the incident, has posted 10GB of sample data and threatened to release more if the victim fails to pay the demanded sum.
Mayor Garnett Johnson, the head of the city located in Georgia, stated that the attack was indeed a file-encrypting malware and that the staff is working around the clock to contain the malware’s spread and mitigate the associated risks.
Unfortunately, the Mayor of Augusta has lost contact with the gang, as they have chosen to conceal their whereabouts, suspecting that they might be tracked by law enforcement soon.
The Mayor of Augusta has not yet confirmed that the gang behind the incident is BlackByte and is unsure about the timeframe for data recovery.
However, technology news resource Bleeping Computer has confirmed the details about the gang, including the fact that they stole sensitive data such as payroll information, images of homeless people, tax information, contact details, addresses, contacts, and budget-related data. Additionally, the website also stated that the hackers’ ransom demand is $400,000, solely to delete the stolen information, and they have released a threatening statement that they will resell it for $300,000 if their demands are not heeded in time.
NOTE: BlackByte is a notorious gang of criminals known for engaging in double extortion attacks. The group is also known to target the same victim multiple times in a year if the victim fails to patch the vulnerabilities through which the previous infiltration occurred.
