Sony Hit by Ransomware Group

Cybercriminals Strike Again: RansomedVC Breaches Major Japanese Tech Giant, Sony.

In a shocking development, the cybercriminal syndicate RansomedVC has issued a concerning announcement on their dark web blog. Traditionally, this platform serves as a showcase for their latest victims. However, in this particular instance, they have boldly claimed to have successfully infiltrated Sony, the formidable Japanese tech and media giant, compromising all of its systems.

In response to this grave allegation, Sony has promptly declared that they are currently investigating these claims. This statement comes via a company representative cited by Cybernews, who has stated that there are no further comments to provide at this time.

What’s even more remarkable is that the cybercriminals have decided to forgo the pursuit of a ransom payment from Sony. This decision stems from the company’s refusal to comply with their demands. Instead, they have revealed their plan to auction off the stolen dataset. This particular strategy is a common recourse for ransomware groups when their victims steadfastly resist payment. The dataset, purportedly containing data from all of Sony’s systems, is now available for purchase at a steep price of $18,000.

Their scrutiny has revealed that this sample is deficient in substantial evidence regarding the quality or significance of the stolen data. This sample comprises a PowerPoint presentation, a few screenshots reminiscent of internal Sony workstations, and several Java files.

In an unexpected twist, following the initial post about the alleged Sony data breach, another user on the same data leak forum has made a startling claim. This user asserts that the leaked database includes sensitive credentials for Sony’s internal systems, data from SonarQube and Creators Cloud, Sony’s certificates, a device for generating licenses, and various other pieces of confidential information.

If these attacks are confirmed, they would mark the second breach Sony has faced in the past three months. Earlier in June, the notorious Cl0p ransom gang included Sony in its list of victims as part of the widely known MOVEit Transfer hacks.

Sony, headquartered in Tokyo, is a conglomerate encompassing its electronics division, PlayStation, and Sony Entertainment. Throughout its history, it has been no stranger to cyberattacks. Most notably, in 2011, the hacktivist group Anonymous carried out a significant breach when it famously hacked into Sony’s PlayStation network using a relatively straightforward distributed denial-of-service DDoS attack.

This month-long assault had profound implications, paralyzing the PlayStation network and preventing gamers from accessing gaming services. It also compromised the personal accounts of over 77 million players.

As for RansomedVC, they are a relatively new entrant on the cybercrime scene, with their first observed activities dating back to 2023. Since then, the group has been actively targeting various organizations, including the Hawaii Health System and TransUnion.


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