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SEARCHThe Babuk group said on its website late Monday that it would release “all the data” it stole from the Washington police department if it did not “raise the price.”
A Russian-speaking ransomware syndicate that stole data from the Washington, D.C., police department says negotiations over payment have broken down, with it rejecting a $100,000 payment.
D.C. police told WTOP the cybercriminals have released personnel records of more than 20 officers.
The extortion threat comes amid a separate ransomware attack on a major pipeline that’s affected part of the U.S.’s fuel supply, highlighting the power of internet-savvy criminal gangs to sow mayhem from a half a world away with impunity.
The Babuk group said on its website late Monday that it would release “all the data” it stole 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.
A day after the initial threat was posted, the gang tried to spur payment by leaking personal information of some police officers taken from background checks, including details of officers’ past drug use, finances and — in at least one incident — of past sexual abuse.
