Motherboard manufacturer Gigabyte was recently hacked by RansomEXX, a ransomware gang. The disturbing part of the case is that the hackers managed to gain unauthorized access to 112 GB of data, including confidential documents and sensitive material from partners such as Intel, AMD, and American Megatrends. The hackers are threatening to publish the compromised files. But let's take a closer look at the unfortunate security incident.
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For those who don't already know, Gigabyte is a giant company based in Taiwan that is best known for its motherboards, but also manufactures other computer components and hardware, such as graphics cards, data center servers, laptops, and monitors.
Given how the world today revolves around data and digital files, it should come as no surprise that ransomware has become the most dangerous and also the most uncontrolled form of malware in recent years. From individual users to large corporations, everyone is a potential victim. A computer hardware manufacturer has also found itself in a ransomware adventure, with its cyberattack incident putting other tech giants at risk.
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Gigabyte admitted on Friday that it had suffered a cyberattack that forced it to shut down many of its servers in Taiwan. This affected the company's support website. Millions of customers worldwide reported problems accessing not only the website but also support documents and other critical information.
The company didn't exactly call it a ransomware attack, but according to information from the website BleepingComputer, it was nothing more than a successful ransomware attack with serious consequences.
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The hackers behind the attack are believed to be the RansomEXX gang, formerly known as Defray, which is responsible for many other high-risk cyberattacks and hacks around the world. While many of the group's victims have been government agencies, it has also attacked many private companies, with Gigabyte being their biggest and most significant success as of this writing.
What makes this incident more complicated for Gigabyte is that the attackers claim to have been able to download files measuring 112 GB in size. These files include confidential material from partners such as Intel, AMD, and American Megatrends. Making the situation even more difficult, instead of waiting for Gigabyte to pay the ransom to decrypt the files, the RansomEXX hacking group is threatening to publish the stolen documents to put further pressure on the company.
The general directive of the Authorities in cases of ransomware attacks is that companies should not succumb to blackmail and not reward criminal acts by paying the required amount, but Gigabyte seems to not have enough time on its hands to devise an alternative plan to restore the compromised files beyond paying the ransom.
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A possible leak of 112GB of confidential files would be devastating for Gigabyte, as well as its partners Intel, AMD and American Megatrends – equally giant companies, with huge profits and consumer recognition – which would find themselves at the mercy of hackers, losing credibility, respect and billions of dollars.
The truth is that most ransomware cyberattacks remain hidden behind closed doors and the public never learns whether ransoms were paid anyway. Of course, Gigabyte is accountable and bears all the blame for the ransomware attack especially since the incident also affects the secrets of other tech giants.
The ransomware attack on Gigabyte has not received much media coverage, and, for now, the company has not issued an official statement providing more information.
