Acer Reportedly Hit With $50M Crypto-Ransomware Demand

Taiwanese tech giant Acer may have fallen victim to a malware attack demanding the biggest cyber-ransom ever.

• Ransomware gang “REvil” is said to be demanding $50 million in the privacy coin monero to decrypt Acer computers, according to a Tech Radar report Monday.
• Sleuthing by an intelligence analyst from Malwarebytes and cyber news site The Record is said to have uncovered a REvil portal with details of the demands.
• The attack, not yet confirmed by Acer, is said to have locked up the firm's back-office network, but not its production systems, per the report.
• In screenshots posted on the portal, REvil called the Acer representative they were communicating with an “incompetent negotiator,” asking for their superiors to be brought into the negotiations.
• The gang has reportedly set a deadline of March 28 for its demands to be met.
• Acer is the world's fifth-largest computer maker, with almost six percent of global PC sales in Q4 2020, according to the latest Gartner data.
• CoinDesk reached out to Acer for comment, but did not receive a response by press time.

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