Scammers have demanded a ransom of $240 million in ВТС from the MediaMarkt network

In negotiations with the hackers, the company managed to reduce the amount demanded

11.11.2021 - 13:30

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What’s new? MediaMarkt, a European chain of electronics stores, has suffered a cyberattack that blocked the company's servers and workstations. The attack triggered a complex chain reaction namely cash registers in the Netherlands and Germany were unable to accept credit card payments and issue receipts.

Article on the RTL Nieuws portal

What are the consequences of the attack? 3100 MediaMarkt servers were encrypted by hackers. The Hive Ransomware group claimed responsibility for the attack. Initially, the blackmailers demanded a ransom of $240 million in bitcoin for data recovery. However, the amount was reduced during negotiations. The company’s representatives reported:

“The MediaMarktSaturn sales group and its national organizations have become the target of a cyberattack. The company immediately informed the relevant authorities and is working at full speed to identify the affected systems and to repair the damage caused as quickly as possible.”

What is known about ransomware attackers? A group of hackers uses Ransomware software. It encrypts data on a computer, thereby making it unavailable for use. The scammers then offer to decrypt it in exchange for a ransom. Sometimes the data is not encrypted but simply copied. The copy of the information may also serve as a means of pressure and, if the ransom is not paid, it becomes public or a competitor's property.

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