Ransomware hacking group REvil brought the networks of at least 200 U.S. companies to their knees on Friday and is now demanding $70 million in bitcoin.
- Australia's ABC News reported on Saturday REvil had targeted software supplier Kaseya and used its network-management package to spread the ransomware via the cloud.
- Over 1 million machines are said to be infected according to various other reports.
- The Russian-based ransomware group is now demanding the bitcoin in exchange for a decrypter for the infected machines.
- "On Friday we launched an attack on [managed service providers]," a post from the dark web site Happy Blog reads. "More than a million systems were infected."
- In May, REvil attacked Colonial Pipeline and managed to get the company to pay a $5 million ransom after its functionality and services were restricted, sparking a gas crisis in the U.S.
- JBS Holdings, the world’s largest meat company by sales, also paid an $11 million ransom in a May 30 attack against it by the same group.
Disclosure
The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups.