Ransomware group demands $70 million for Kaseya attack

Weeks after the world's largest meat supplier, JBS, paid $11 million after a ransomware attack, the biggest global ransomware attack was reported over the long weekend of the 4th of July. The details of the scale of the attack are still emerging after initial reports confirmed that thousands of users were affected in over 17 countries.

The ransomware group REvil has demanded a $70 million payment in Bitcoin for a decryptor tool following its attack on the software vendor Kaseya, cyber researchers say.

Hundreds of companies were directly hit by the supply-chain attack on Kesaya's VSA software, which provides IT services to small and medium-sized businesses, according to CNET. At least 36,000 companies were indirectly impacted.

On Friday, Kaseya CEO Fred Vocolla said that "Only a very small percentage of our customers were affected – currently estimated at fewer than 40 worldwide." Sophos VP Ross McKerchar said in a statement Sunday that "This is one of the farthest reaching criminal ransomware attacks that Sophos has ever seen. At this time, our evidence shows that more than 70 managed service providers were impacted, resulting in more than 350 further impacted organizations. We expect the full scope of victim organizations to be higher than what's being reported by any individual security company."

Anne Neuberger, White House deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technology, said the FBI and Department of Homeland Security's cyber arm "will reach out to identified victims to provide assistance based upon an assessment of national risk."

President Biden said he had directed the U.S. intelligence agencies to investigate who was responsible for the attack.

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