WebProNews reports on an unusual, and praiseworthy, response to a cyberattack with a ransom demand. They erroneously describe it as a ransomware attack, but no encryption was involved. ShinyHunters exfiltrated data and then attempted to ransom it:
In a striking rebuke to cybercriminals, Checkout.com’s chief technology officer has turned a ransomware attack into an opportunity for advancement in cybersecurity. The London-based payment processor, recently breached by the notorious hacking group ShinyHunters, announced it would not pay the demanded ransom. Instead, the company pledged to donate an equivalent sum to academic institutions focused on combating cybercrime.
The incident unfolded when attackers accessed an improperly decommissioned cloud storage drive containing legacy internal documents. According to reports from TechRadar, the breach did not compromise live payment systems, merchant funds, or card numbers. CTO Mariano Albera publicly apologized, stating, “We will not be extorted by criminals. We will not pay this ransom.” This decision marks a rare public defiance in an industry where silent payments are common.
The Breach and Its Immediate Aftermath
ShinyHunters, a group known for high-profile data thefts, claimed responsibility for the hack. The Register detailed how the attackers exploited a legacy third-party cloud file storage system, exposing years-old internal documents. Checkout.com emphasized that no sensitive customer data was affected, a claim supported by their swift response and transparency.
Read more at WebProNews.