A newly launched ransomware operation is now leaking data allegedly pilfered from organizations globally that have fallen victim to its attacks.
Valencia Ransomware has unveiled links to allegedly stolen data, amounting to gigabytes in size, on its notorious “Wall of Shame” darknet leak site, reportedly pilfered from a California-based municipal government, a pharmaceutical company, and a paper manufacturer.
The purported victims include the City of Pleasanton in California, where the perpetrator allegedly stole 283 gigabytes of sensitive data; Malaysian pharmaceutical company Duopharma Biotech, which suffered a loss of 25.7 gigabytes; Indian paper producer Satia, victim to a theft of 7.1 gigabytes; and Bangladeshi medicine manufacturer Globe Pharmaceuticals, with 200 megabytes compromised.
It’s reported that Spanish fashion giant Tendam has also been impacted by the Valencia-based company. Despite confirmation of the attack’s accuracy, it’s astonishingly ill-fated that the agency has been struck a second time by the Medusa ransomware just this month, following an initial assault.
It was suggested online that some of the Valencia group’s attacks might also be connected to vulnerabilities in the WhatsUp Gold networking monitoring software developed by Progress.
Discovered vulnerabilities enabling takeover of WhatsUp Gold administrative accounts were responsibly disclosed in May, with proof-of-concept exploit code publicly released at the end of August.
Within days of the proof-of-concept code’s release, reports emerged that hackers were already exploiting the vulnerability.
The compromised organizations are detailed on Valencia’s leaked webpage as follows:
“Companies disregarding customer privacy: A comprehensive list.”
Here are the companies that have resisted the temptation to pay up after being victimized by cybercriminals, opting instead to stand strong in their refusal to give in to extortion demands.
Paying ransoms to cybercriminals has a counterproductive effect, as it motivates them to target more organizations, escalating the risk of future attacks.
Confronted with the specter of catastrophic consequences for your business, as well as the welfare of your employees, partners, and customers, your organisation may be left with little choice but to comply. Regardless of your screen resolution, it is crucial to promptly notify law enforcement and provide assistance as needed in their investigation into reported cybersecurity breaches.
Nobody should relax complacently in the face of ransomware. Despite record-breaking profits from recent extra assaults, there’s no indication that ransomware incidents will decline anytime soon.
To help prevent a ransomware attack from being successful in your organization, consider implementing these measures:
