Palo Alto Networks provides background on the new blackmail malware ransomware "BlackCat" that was used in the cyber attack on the German petrol supplier Oiltanking. BlackCat is new, but unfortunately quite successful. An analysis.
How many German media report up-to-date The recently discovered ransomware "BlackCat" is said to have been used in the serious cyber attack on Oiltanking's tank farms in Germany. The tank farm belongs to the Hamburg group of companies Marquard & Bahls. The mineral oil dealer Mabanaft, which belongs to the group of companies, was also attacked.
What is BlackCat ransomware?
BlackCat is already the 7th most successful ransomware (Image: Palo Alto Networks).
Palo Alto Networks has published an updated overview of the BlackCat ransomware family used at Oiltanking - a ransomware group that only surfaced in mid-November 2021. As of December 2021, just over a month after the group emerged, BlackCat has the seventh-largest number of victims among monitored ransomware groups - and the list keeps growing.
The victims come from various industries such as construction, insurance, logistics and other fields, which further increases the influence of the group. BlackCat attackers are demanding ransoms of up to $14 million — nearly triple the average ransom demand of $5,3 million in early 2021.
After the USA, BlackCat is the most successful in Germany (Image: Palo Alto Networks).
The emergence of BlackCat is part of a worrying trend that the activities of new and emerging groups can have a devastating impact in a short period of time. The group's success is attributed in part to the adaptability of their attacks and the efficient algorithms that enable encryption.
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