A recent report suggested that the notorious hackers known by the name REvil or Sodinokibi, hacked into the website of a law firm based in New York. The hackers demand crypto ransom from the law firm that represents popular individuals such as Elton John, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Rob Stewart, The Weeknd, U2, LeBron James, Mike Tyson, Robert De Niro, and Sony Corporation.
Initially, the hacking group demanded ransom in Bitcoin, before later switching to Monero. Monero is known for its privacy orientation, making it more efficient for making under the radar transactions.
REvil hackers demand crypto from Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks Law Firm
The report by media giants BBC, indicated that the REvil hackers had taken down the website of popular New York-based law firm dubbed Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks. Moreover, the attackers assert they are in possession of 750 gigabytes worth of data from the website, including contracts, agreements and personal emails. A statement by the law firm reads:
“We can confirm that we have been victimized by a cyber-attack. We have notified our clients and our staff. We have hired the world’s experts who specialize in this area, and we are working around the clock to address these matters.”
At press time, the firm’s official website was only displaying the firm’s logo. In fact, the REvil attackers had allegedly released a screenshot indicating artist Madonna’s contract. As per Brett Callow, a threat analyst at Emisoft, such ransomware attacks are on the rise lately, which is worrying.
Additionally, he states that firms that are faced with such a threat, do not have lots of options since if they decline to fulfill the demands, confidential information may be published. Payment of the ransom will give them hope that the attackers will not share the information.
REvil’s cybercrime record
The report does not specify the amount of money the hackers are demanding. In particular, REvil hacking group has a good record of similar cyber attacks. Early into the year, the attackers hacked Travelex exchange firm based in the U.K.
The firm’s network was infected with malware infiltration, forcing them to give in to the demands of the attackers amounting to $2.3 million in Bitcoin. Furthermore, the hackers used to demand ransom in bitcoin before opting for Monero to cover their money trails.
Interestingly, the perpetrators highlighted that potential victims should learn more on how the privacy coin works; how to buy, and how to transfer it when the time comes.