- A group of hackers are demanding $42 million in cryptocurrencies or else they will publish sensitive information about the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
- The group of hackers known as REvil ransomware stole 1 terabyte in legal secrets from figures in the entertainment industry and has already given some details of their material to demonstrate that their threats are true.
- In addition to Trump, names such as Elton John, Robert DeNiro and Madonna are included.
Over the past few months, cryptocurrencies have shown sustained growth. As the price of Bitcoin rises and falls, the number of users who adopt this form of payment or investment is increasing.
But as the activity of digital assets grows, they also became an important platform for hackers and experts in computer security. Because they are not traceable, thieves have turned to cryptocurrencies as a form of payment against extortion.
This time, who has been the target of a cyber attack is none other than the President of the United States himself, Donald Trump. A group of hackers demands $42 million in cryptocurrencies or promises to publish sensitive information about the president.
Hackers reveal content
The REvil ransomware group, also known as Sodinokibi, is the one behind this extortion. And they have tried to prove that they are not lying. The band stole nearly 1 terabyte (1,000 GB) of legal secrets from figures in the entertainment industry and has already provided some details of their material.
The group sent major media outlets such as Cointelegraph 2 GB of legal documents marked as Lady Gaga, stolen from New York law firm Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks. Among the firm’s most prominent clients are Elton John, Robert DeNiro and Madonna.
How did this data get into the wrong hands?
The group of hackers hacked and encrypted the company’s server, stealing 756 GB of data on confidential contracts, phone numbers, email addresses, personal correspondence, confidentiality agreements, and more. The company has so far refused to pay, making the threat ever greater.
Direct threats against Donald Trump
The group released a message on Thursday calling for a larger bailout and making clear the threat to the President of the United States.
“The next person we will publish is Donald Trump. There are elections underway, and we found a lot of dirty laundry on time,” the message read.
However, that was not the only thing REvil exposed at the moment. In a jocular tone, the group recommended that Trump should “hit the boys,” in clear reference to the law firm, if he continued with his plans to remain president of United States. At the same the hackers said this to the voters:
“We can let you know that after our publication, you certainly will not want to see Trump as president.”
It is still unclear what is the link between Trump and the law firm, as it is believed that he has probably never been a client of the firm, although the threat does appear to be very serious.
Material release
The attackers have threatened to release all stolen material in nine stages, unless the company accepts the ransom demands and pays. This group prefers that the payment be made in Monero, although they also left the possibility of it being made in Bitcoin, but warned that it would be for a higher fee.
Despite the threats from computer hackers, Grubman refuses to negotiate with them as announced by the New York Post because the firm does not trust this group and believes that they can release the documents even if they pay. Furthermore, neither the firm nor the United States negotiates with terrorists. The US Federal Bureau of Investigation considers hacking to be an act of terrorism.