In this day and age, hackers are starting to become more and more brazen with the stunts they pull. Some hackers tend to target common individuals, hoping to get them to send over a certain amount of cash or exploit them for their own personal gain. On the other hand, some hackers want to make it known to the world that your security can still be compromised no matter how big of a corporation you are. Sony, the Japanese multinational conglomerate, is the most recent corporation that fell victim to a ransomware attack and got hacked. Here’s everything we know about this issue.
Who hacked Sony and is responsible for the Ransomware Attack?
News of Sony getting hacked was enough to have users worried. The group responsible for the data breach and theft calls themselves Ransomed.vc. They claim that the data stolen from Sony included customer data, internal documents, and source codes. Cyber Security Connect’s David Hollingworth has stepped in and revealed that this is a new group in the hacking scene, having only started their activities this year.
Sony hack – are you in danger?⤵️#Sony #databreach #hacked #cybersecurity #infosec pic.twitter.com/gTVHjYCQRl
— CyberNews (@CyberNews) September 26, 2023
Despite only being a new group, Hollingworth states that Ransomed.vc has successfully hacked “an impressive number of victims.” Among these victims is Sony themselves, known for the PlayStation and other consumer electronics.
- The hackers made the announcement both on the Clearnet and the dark web. Their initial approach to things was to hold the data for ransomware. However, Sony allegedly did not give in to their demands. This prompted the hackers to sell the stolen data and give it to whoever comes out as the highest bidder.
- Ransomed.vc also showed that they had successfully accessed Sony’s files. The report from Cyber Security Connect shares that one of the proofs shown in the announcement is a PowerPoint presentation displaying details about future designs or models from Sony.
However, some are skeptical about how real the hacks are. The proof they provided is not convincing, and Hollingworth believes that Ransomed.vc may be lying about successfully stealing all of Sony’s data.
https://twitter.com/solidgamereview/status/1706340737535598922
- Based on the file tree they shared, Hollingworth saw that there are less than 6,000 files there. This number is quite low if Ransomed.vc has, in fact, stolen all of Sony’s data.
What is the goal of the ransomware attack?
It looks like the hackers are trying to live out their own simulation of Watch Dogs by pulling off the impressive feat of hacking an entertainment giant like Sony. But unlike DedSec, Ransomed.vc doesn’t want to “expose the corruption in the common world” by targeting large corporations.
- Instead of hacking for justice, all the group wants is money. Unfortunately for them, Sony isn’t giving in so easily.
- In the announcement, Ransomed.vc indicated that September 28 is the final day for interested buyers to place their bids. If no one buys the data from the hackers, they have threatened to post all the data they have stolen from Sony.
As a way of fighting back against the hackers, Sony has launched an investigation into the hacking incident and hopefully patch up the hole in the wall created by Ransomed.vc.
What is Ransomware?
Ransomware is a type of virus that can prevent an individual or even an organization from accessing files they have on their computers. When you fall prey to this type of attack, hackers will normally offer you the decryption key to unlock your device or files in exchange for a certain amount.
Files locked? Someone’s asking for money? Sounds like ransomware.
Never pay a ransom to a cybercriminal. There is no guarantee you will regain access to your information or prevent it from being sold or leaked online.
Learn more 👉 https://t.co/SVP3IXpOa1 pic.twitter.com/U7vBQAQ4Mh
— Australian Signals Directorate (@ASDGovAu) September 22, 2023
Failure to follow through with their demands will result in their data being lost forever, or if it’s something confidential, it can be published without their consent. The latter is what will possibly happen to Sony by September 28. Once their data is published, there’s a high chance that Sony’s trade secrets can be studied by their fellow competitors.
If the data breach does turn out to be true, we hope Sony gets around to fixing it before we get a repeat of the 2011 PSN hack that forced the servers to go offline for almost a month.
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