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Hackers Threaten to Launch Confidential Knowledge Stolen from Reddit
Reddit is going through a ransom demand from hackers who declare to have stolen confidential information from the corporate. The hackers, often called the BlackCat ransomware gang or ALPHV, state that they’ve obtained 80 gigabytes of compressed information from Reddit throughout a safety breach in February. Reddit has confirmed the cyber incident however has not supplied additional particulars concerning the assault or the identification of the hackers.
Background of the Assault
In February, Reddit’s CTO, Christopher Slowe, introduced that hackers had accessed worker info and inner paperwork via a focused phishing assault. Nonetheless, there was no proof that non-public person information, corresponding to passwords and accounts, had been compromised. BlackCat has now claimed accountability for the breach and threatened to launch the stolen confidential information. The extent and nature of the info stays unknown, because the hackers haven’t supplied any proof of their claims.
BlackCat’s Involvement in Different Assaults
This isn’t the primary time that BlackCat has made headlines. In March, they had been linked to an assault on Western Digital, the place they stole 10 terabytes of buyer info. Moreover, BlackCat additionally threatened to leak information allegedly stolen from Ring, an Amazon-owned video surveillance firm.
Ransom Calls for and API Pricing Modifications
In a latest submit titled The Reddit Recordsdata, BlackCat revealed their communication with Reddit. They declare to have contacted Reddit twice, however acquired no response. The hackers are demanding a ransom of $4.5 million to delete the stolen information and for Reddit to reverse its API pricing modifications. Reddit’s API pricing plans have sparked controversy, resulting in the closure of common third-party app Apollo and protests from quite a few subreddits.
Reddit’s Response
When approached for remark, Reddit declined to reveal its intentions concerning BlackCat’s calls for. Subsequently, it stays unclear whether or not Reddit can pay the ransom or take any motion.
A Historical past of Knowledge Breaches
This isn’t the primary time Reddit has confronted an information breach. In 2018, attackers gained unauthorized entry to an entire copy of Reddit’s information from 2007. This breach uncovered usernames, hashed passwords, emails, public posts, and personal messages.
Conclusion
The ransom demand and risk of knowledge leakage from BlackCat raises vital considerations for Reddit and its customers. The corporate now faces the tough determination of whether or not to pay the ransom and probably face future threats or take a stand in opposition to the hackers. The incident additionally highlights the continuing challenges that firms face in securing person information and the potential penalties of cyber assaults.
FAQ
1. Who’re the hackers concentrating on Reddit?
The hackers, often called the BlackCat ransomware gang or ALPHV, have focused Reddit and claimed accountability for a safety breach.
2. What information was stolen from Reddit?
The extent and nature of the stolen information stay unclear. The hackers declare to have obtained 80 gigabytes of compressed information, however they haven’t supplied any proof or particular particulars concerning the content material.
3. What ransom demand did the hackers make?
The hackers are demanding a ransom of $4.5 million from Reddit in change for deleting the stolen information and for reversing the corporate’s API pricing modifications.
4. How has Reddit responded to the ransom demand?
Reddit has declined to touch upon whether or not it plans to reply to the hackers’ calls for or take any motion.
5. Has Reddit skilled information breaches earlier than?
Sure, in 2018, Reddit confronted an information breach the place attackers gained entry to an entire copy of its information from 2007, together with usernames, hashed passwords, emails, public posts, and personal messages.
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