Ransomware gang threatens release of DC police records

A file photo of Washington Metropolitan Police Department chief Robert Contee speaking during a news conference in Washington. The Babuk group said on its website late Monday that it would release 'all the data' it stole from the Washington police department if it did not 'raise the price'. — AP

RICHMOND, Virginia: A Russian-speaking ransomware syndicate that stole data from the Washington, D.C., police department says negotiations over payment have broken down, with it rejecting a US$100,000 (RM413,000) payment, and it will release sensitive information that could put lives at risk if more money is not offered.

The extortion threat comes amid a separate ransomware attack on a major pipeline that’s affected part of the US’s fuel supply, highlighting the power of Internet-savvy criminal gangs to sow mayhem from a half a world away with impunity.