Illinois State Court Network hacked!
Everest ransomware group has reportedly gained full access to the network of the US District Court in Illinois and is now offering to sell that access to interested buyers.
According to the group, they have an employee within the court system who has granted them unrestricted access to confidential documents and other sensitive data.
In a statement on a dark web forum, Everest claimed complete control over the network and stated that antivirus protection was not in place.
The group also released screenshots purporting to show their access to the court’s systems and examples of the data types that could be obtained through their network access.
Illinois State Court Network hacked
The sale includes access to the network of the US District Court in Illinois, as well as the network access of a lawyer with a large quantity of confidential documents. The group did not disclose their asking price but stated that they were open to negotiation.
Ransomware attacks have become an increasingly common threat in recent years, with hackers using malware to encrypt a victim’s files and demanding payment in exchange for the decryption key.
However, the offer made by Everest is somewhat unusual, as they are attempting to sell access to a network rather than demanding payment directly from the victim.
The Cyber Express team has contacted James Brunner, Public Information Officer at Illinois Supreme Court, for any comments on the data breach claim by ‘Everest.’
The Illinois State Court system has not yet commented on the alleged breach, but experts warn that such attacks can have serious consequences.
Not only can they result in the loss or theft of sensitive data, but they can also disrupt the functioning of vital systems and cause significant financial and reputational damage.
The FBI and other law enforcement agencies are investigating the situation, and whether Everest will successfully sell access to the court’s network remains to be seen. However, this is not the first time that the threat actor have shown interest in American courts.
Last month, the Everest ransomware group was reported to have attacked the US District Court and allegedly sold its network access on its dark web portal.
The notification was said to have come directly from the threat actor’s account, which stated that the US District Court’s network access was up for sale.
These two incidents serves as a reminder of the ongoing threat posed by cybercriminals and the importance of taking proactive steps to secure sensitive data and systems.