Category: extortion
-
World Leaks data extortion: What you need to know
World Leaks data extortion: What you need to know World Leaks is a cyber extortion operation that steals sensitive data from organizations and threatens to leak it via the dark web if a ransom is not paid. Read more in my article on the Fortra blog. Graham Cluley Go to grahamcluley
-
Smashing Security podcast #460: Never knock on the door of a nuclear submarine base and ask for a selfie
Smashing Security podcast #460: Never knock on the door of a nuclear submarine base and ask for a selfie A disgruntled data analyst decides that the best response to losing his contract is to steal the entire company payroll database and demand $2.5 million in Bitcoin – signing his extortion emails from a company called…
-
Smashing Security podcast #444: We’re sorry. Wait, did a company actually say that?
Smashing Security podcast #444: We’re sorry. Wait, did a company actually say that? Stop the press – a company has actually said “sorry” after a data breach, and hotels are helping hackers phish their own guests. We examine a refreshingly honest breach response (and why legacy systems are still going to ruin your week), dig…
-
A miracle: A company says sorry after a cyber attack – and donates the ransom to cybersecurity research
A miracle: A company says sorry after a cyber attack – and donates the ransom to cybersecurity research One of the sad truths about this world of seemingly endless hacks and data breaches is that companies just won’t apologise. Even when customers, partners, and employees are left wondering when their data will be published by…
-
Vastaamo psychotherapy hack: US citizen charged in latest twist of notorious data breach
Vastaamo psychotherapy hack: US citizen charged in latest twist of notorious data breach 28-year-old Daniel Lee Newhard, an American citizen living in Estonia, has been charged in relation to the notorious hack of Vastaamo, the biggest data breach in Finnish history. Read more in my article on the Hot for Security blog. Graham Cluley Go…
-
Generative AI as a Cybercrime Assistant
Generative AI as a Cybercrime Assistant Anthropic reports on a Claude user: We recently disrupted a sophisticated cybercriminal that used Claude Code to commit large-scale theft and extortion of personal data. The actor targeted at least 17 distinct organizations, including in healthcare, the emergency services, and government and religious institutions. Rather than encrypt the stolen…