Ransomware attack affected over 1,500 businesses worldwide
A ransomware attack centered on an American IT company Kaseya last Friday affected between 800 and 1,500 businesses around the world, according to the tech firm’s chief executive.
Fred Voccola, Kaseya CEO, said that it was hard to assess the exact impact of the attack because those hits were mainly customers of Kaseya’s clients.
Kaseya is a company that provides software tools to IT outsourcing shops. One of those tools was subverted on Friday which allowed hackers to paralyze businesses on all five continents.
Hundreds of supermarkets have to close due to inoperative cash registers in Sweden while schools and kindergartens were knocked offline in New Zealand.
The hackers responsible for the breach have demanded $70 million to restore all the affected businesses’ data. They also suggested a willingness to lower their demands in private conversations with a cybersecurity expert and with news agency Reuters.
Voccola had reportedly spoken to officials at the White House, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security about the breach.
