BlackSuit cybercrime gang blamed in CDK hack that roiled car dealers

A hacking group called BlackSuit is behind the cyberattack on CDK Global that’s paralyzed car sales across the US, according to Allan Liska, a threat analyst at the security firm Recorded Future Inc. . The cybercrime group has demanded an extortion fee in the tens of millions of dollars from CDK, which plans to make the payment, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. . CDK’s name was not listed Monday on the website where BlackSuit names its extortion victims, a possible indication that the company is still in negotiations with the group or has paid a ransom, said Liska, who specializes in ransomware investigations and has been in discussions with those involved in the CDK case. . CDK declined to comment about the identity of the attackers Monday. . The company expects to restore services within the coming days and is working with law enforcement, company spokesperson Lisa Finney said. . The US Department of Health and Human Services recently declared in an alert that BlackSuit should be “closely watched” as a threat, in part because of the gang’s association with other extortion groups. . It uses malware and attack techniques that are remarkably similar to the defunct Russian-speaking Conti gang, suggesting to cyber researchers that BlackSuit is partly made up of experienced Russian hackers. . The group functions as a ransomware-as-a-service gang, in which members lease their technical tools to affiliates and demand a cut of any extortion payments. . BlackSuit has potential ties with another group known as Royal Ransomware, according to Jon Clay, a threat intelligence researcher at the cybersecurity firm TrendMicro. . BlackSuit’s malicious software shares code with Royal Ransomware tools, according to the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. . The extent to which the groups are made of the same people remains unclear. . Royal Ransomware targeted at least 350 victims and demanded more than $275 million in ransom fees in 2022 and 2023, according to the FBI and CISA, a unit of the Department of Homeland Security. . BlackSuit meanwhile specializes in hacking Linux and Windows systems, according to the cyber firm Tripwire Inc. . The desktop wallpaper on breached computers directs to a ransom note encouraging the victim to contact the group via a site on the dark web. . The same gang previously published hundreds of files stolen from the police department in Kansas City, Kansas. . Nearly 200 plasma donation centers worldwide also shut down as a result of BlackSuit’s activity in April. . The group has claimed credit for attacks on a Georgia school system and for stealing more than 200 gigabytes of data from an Indiana University. . Cybersecurity news site Bleeping Computer previously reported on BlackSuit’s involvement in the CDK hack, citing unnamed sources. -- By Charles Gorrivan ( Bloomberg )

BlackSuit cybercrime gang blamed in CDK hack that roiled car dealers

Cybercrime group has demanded an extortion fee in the tens of millions of dollars from CDK

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