HAND IT OVER

Russian Hackers Demand $70m After Breaching Florida-Based Tech Firm

The major hack was likely coordinated by the REvil cybercrime gang.

Russia-linked hackers who breached the defenses of a Florida-based information technology firm—and then hundreds of other companies across the world—have demanded a $70 million ransom to restore the data they stole over the weekend. The hack comes after President Biden warned President Putin to stop Russian cyber-criminals or face repercussions. According to Reuters news agency, the major hack was likely coordinated by the REvil cybercrime gang and it centered on the Miami tech firm Kaseya. That breach allowed the hackers to break into the private data of Kaseya’s clients, and their clients’ clients, in a chain-reaction that has reportedly hit hundreds of companies and agencies across the world. Late on Sunday, the hackers demanded $70 million to reverse the damage that they’ve done. The White House said in a statement that it will reach out to victims and assist them in their attempts to retrieve their stolen data. An official at Kaseya told Reuters that the company is aware of the ransom demand but didn’t comment further.