Cygilant, a cybersecurity threat management company, was the latest victim of a ransomware attack. The attack reportedly involved a malware named ‘NetWalker,’ which is a malware piece that can be hired by any individual to launch their attacks.
The hackers demanded the release of private information and several leaks, but the company assured its consumers that all private information was safe and that they were ahead of the hacking attempt.
Christina Luttica, CFO for Cygilant, stated, “Our Cyber Defense and Response Center team took immediate and decisive action to stop the attack’s progression. We are working closely with third-party forensic investigators and law enforcement to understand the attack’s full nature and impact.”
According to cybersecurity research firm Emsisoft, NetWalker is a virus-for-hire malware, whose purpose is to extract private data from the victim and upload it to the hackers’ servers. Reportedly, a website on the dark web was noted with screenshots of Cygilant’s private files. However, this website later disappeared.
Cygilant did not confirm whether the company had paid NetWalker’s demanded ransom. Emsisoft exec Brett Callow informed that hackers often temporarily delist the companies that have agreed to negotiate, and hinted that this could be the case with Cygilant’s data hack.
Cygilant was founded in 2001 to provide security softwares to consumers. Therefore, it is ironic that the company should be on the receiving end of a brutal hacking attempt.
However, ransomware is one of the most harmful forms of malwares to exist today. American Electric carmaker Tesla Motors also faced similar odds recently, except the hack on Tesla’s Nevada factory was thwarted before any damage could be done.
