Hackers suspected to be behind a mass extortion attack that affected hundreds of companies worldwide late on Sunday demanded US$70-million (R1-billion) to restore the data they are holding ransom, according to a posting on the dark Web.
The demand was posted on a blog typically used by the REvil cybercrime gang, a Russia-linked group that is counted among the cybercriminal world’s most prolific extortionists.
The gang has an affiliate structure, occasionally making it difficult to determine who speaks on the hackers’ behalf, but Allan Liska of cybersecurity firm Recorded Future said the message “almost certainly” came from REvil’s core leadership. The group has not responded to an attempt to reach it for comment.