GIGABYTE Attacked With Ransomware, Hackers Have Clutched 112GB of Confidential Data

Industry giant GIGABYTE is one of the world’s leading motherboard vendors, specializing in all things hardware, especially PC graphics cards. The company has a commendable reputation for providing Intel and AMD motherboards on a reliable basis with price tags that the masses can afford.

That said, misfortune has taken its toll and it appears that the Taiwanese tycoon has been hit with a ransomware attack by a hacker group called RansomEXX. Unfolding the scenario, United Daily News has reported that the criminal party has grabbed hold of 112 GB of confidential data, including those that belong to noteworthy manufacturers like Intel and AMD. The data was under GIGABYTE’s shield through regulatory NDA’s thereby instilling a notion of confidentiality between the concerned parties. 

The following email was disclosed by TechPowerUp. From what we make of the message depicted through the ransomware, the RansomEXX squad means serious business. Reports coming in left and right all seem to confirm that GIGABYTE was initially affected, and even had to halt its systems. This led to disruption in the servers of some websites, eventually creating confusion among the ecosystem.

The email reads, “All your data was ENCRYPTED with the most reliable algorithms. Please do not try to MODIFY or RENAME any of the encrypted files; this actions will result in serious file system damage.”

Thankfully, the cyberattack has been tended to, and the situation has been currently dealt with. The company teamed up with highly specialized technical experts to isolate the influenced sectors from the rest of the network, and restore normalcy. Furthermore, the cyberattack didn’t impact the production of the company in the first place, only a scant number of internal processes.

Still, the threat continues in the respect that RansomEXX could potentially release any trade secrets encompassed in the sensitive data. As of yet, there is no word on any negotiations made with the responsible hacker group, but GIGABYTE has contacted law enforcement. In addition, the ransom amount hasn’t been made public as well, but it’s common practice to demand an absurd amount of funds in cases like these.

What do you think of this cyberattack? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments section.