May 8, 2023

CyberSec Roundup
A synopsis of the Latest Cybersecurity News

BlackCat Hacks Western Digital

In March, Western Digital disclosed that they had suffered a ransomware attack that disrupted their cloud services and store for a few weeks. The BlackCat ransomware group claimed responsibility for the attack, during which they stole company and customer data. They also provided proof of access to WD’s systems after the breach was detected and detailed the company’s response to the breach with emails and video conferences. Despite the ransom demand, WD does not intend to pay and has asked customers to be on the lookout for phishing emails.

Dallas Hit by Ransomware

The City of Dallas experienced a ransomware attack that affected their IT systems. This resulted in the police website going offline, while court systems and 911 operations were temporarily disrupted. Royal Ransomware claimed responsibility for the attack and communicated ransom demands through network printers. The demands have not been met as of yet.

California County Police Pay Ransom

In April, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department suffered a ransomware attack that encrypted their network files. In contrast to most organizations that refuse to pay the ransom, the Sheriff’s Department reportedly paid the $1.1 million ransom to regain access to their files, which was covered by their cybersecurity insurance.

By: David Pinder
IT & Cybersecurity Consultant
Certified Ethical Hacker (Master) | CCSK | AZ-500