Ransomware and one with a twist

[Russ Smith]

3 weeks ago my girlfriends company got hit with ransomware. They were all sent home, the HQ is in Massachusetts but she is in Santa Clara, CA. I don't know how they restored, I don't think they paid the ransom so I assume they restored from backups or something but they're apparently still investigating. Some indication that the IT company they use for security was actually hacked, people were having trouble logging in to email and when they contacted that company for help, they wound up getting notices to change passwords, which they did, and that apparently completed the hack as it gave the hackers plenty of access.

Today she went in and the building is freezing cold. They called the management company and apparently THEY got hacked over the weekend, appears to be ransomware she's not sure. But they also apparently locked them out of their BMS(building managment software) which meant they can't control the air conditioning so they can't make it warmer. They were waiting on their HVAC company to come out and either get them access some other way, or bypass the system.

So they may have a new twist not only do we lock out your data, we're going to make you too cold(or hot in summer) so you REALLY have to act fast.

 

[dreamcastrocks]

Damn, that is crazy.

 

[Brian in Mesa]

A few years ago one of our teachers woke up at 2 in the morning, tossed on a tank top, and opened her teacher laptop to check a few things. She got hit with one of those ransomware fake FBI alerts and it accessed her webcam, took a picture of her, and posted a huge alert warning which included the picture it just took of her. When she brought her laptop in to get it checked she had her webcam covered and said she was thankful she tossed a tank top on or there would have been a topless photo of her included with the warning. To this day - she still keeps the webcam covered on her laptop. LOL