A Russian-speaking cyberhacking group threatened to release sensitive stolen data from the Washington, D.C., police department that could put lives at risk if the group’s demands for more money are not fulfilled.
The threat comes shortly after another cyberattack on a major oil pipeline that has severely restricted gas supply on the East Coast, illustrating the threat posed by online criminal gangs that can create destruction and demise from far away.
“This is far worse than any hack of other police departments previously,” Brett Callow, a cyberthreat expert at security firm Emsisoft, told the Associated Press. He also said he was not aware of any law enforcement agency ever paying a ransom before.
In April, the Babuk group hacked into the city police department’s online network and threatened to release personal details on the identities of confidential informants to the police if a ransom was not paid. Such a release could put the lives of the informants at risk.
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The gang asked for $4 million and received a counteroffer from the district police of $100,000, which it rejected, according to the Associated Press.
The police department confirmed the data breach last month but said it had referred the matter to the FBI. The FBI’s guidance, however, is against paying ransom to hackers.
“Paying a ransom doesn’t guarantee you or your organization will get any data back. It also encourages perpetrators to target more victims and offers an incentive for others to get involved in this type of illegal activity,” the FBI says in its guidance.
Babuk said on its website Monday that it would release “all the data” stolen from the Washington police department if it did not “raise the price.”
“The negotiations reached a dead end, the amount we were offered does not suit us,” the group said.
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In retaliation for the low ransom amount offered, the gang on Monday leaked the personal information of some police officers, including identifying details, home addresses, financial information, and even past drug and sexual abuse. The group had released similar personal information of police officers last month, as well, in an attempt to get paid.
