CyberSec Roundup
A synopsis of the Latest Cybersecurity News

Bitcoin popular with Ransomware Gangs  

Based on suspicious activity reports filed to the government by American companies, The Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has determined that $5.2 billion in Bitcoin payments was made to ransomware groups since 1st January 2011. The ransomware groups have also been making a big impact this year, as reported payments are up to $590 million so far this year, while last year the number was $416 million. It is no wonder that ransomware has become a major headache for businesses and governments worldwide, which is why they came together to find solutions at the recent virtual summit led by the White House.  

Acer hacked again  

After being hit with a ransomware attack in March, Acer has again disclosed that their Indian offices also fell victim to a ransomware attack, this time by the Desorden Group. They claim to have stolen 60GB worth of files which includes customer, corporate and financial data.  Acer is notifying potentially affected customers along with Indian law enforcement.   

REvil down again  

Well, there is some good news, as the REvil ransomware group seems to be down again. Someone was able to hack the hackers, seizing their payment portal on the dark web, their data leak blog, and their servers. Someone affiliated with REvil confirmed the hack and posted that they will shut down operations for now. Time will tell if they will be down permanently.   

By: David Pinder
IT & Security Consultant
Certified Ethical Hacker (Master)