A ransomware group, known as ALPHV and whose malware is called BlackCat, is claiming to have breached Ring, the massively popular security camera company owned by Amazon. The group is threatening to release Ring’s data and is blackmailing the company on its website by stating, “There’s always an option to let us leak your data.”
Similar to other ransomware groups, ALPHV goes beyond just locking a victim’s files and has a website where it publicly shames its victims in an attempt to extort them. If those targets do not pay, ALPHV threatens to release the stolen data publicly. ALPHV’s website is noteworthy in that the section where it publishes hacked data, called “Collections,” is easier to search than those of some other hacking groups.
Ring stated to Motherboard that it does not have evidence of a breach of its own systems, but that a third-party vendor has been hit with ransomware. It is not clear what specific data ALPHV may have accessed.
ALPHV previously released nude photos of cancer patients after attacking a US hospital with ransomware. The healthcare center refused to pay the ransom, prompting the hackers to resort to this heinous act. The cybercriminals demanded a sum of $1.5 million, making this one of their most audacious attacks to date.