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.