The Rhysida hacker group has put up for auction the stolen personal data of employees and users of the Maryland Transportation Department for 30 BTC, equivalent to approximately $3.4 million.
This is reported by Finway
Data Leak Threat and Government Response
The Rhysida group claimed to have gained access to confidential information, including social security numbers, addresses, and dates of birth. The data is being offered for sale to one party for seven days. Representatives of the Maryland Department of Transportation confirmed the unauthorized access to their systems and announced the initiation of an investigation into the incident. However, they did not specify which categories of information were compromised and did not comment on other details of the event.
“The Rhysida group has put the data up for auction for 30 BTC.”
Employees and users of the transportation infrastructure have been advised to urgently change their passwords, update software, and activate two-factor authentication to reduce the risk of further attacks. The department emphasizes the importance of maintaining cybersecurity hygiene following a large-scale cyberattack.
Spread of Ransomware and Damage Statistics
According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Rhysida has been regularly attacking educational, medical, manufacturing, IT structures, and government agencies since 2023. Hackers demand ransom in cryptocurrency, particularly in Bitcoin, and threaten to publish confidential information if their demands are not met.
Bitcoin remains the primary currency for transactions among ransomware operators due to the difficulty in tracking transactions. In July, the U.S. Department of Justice initiated the seizure of over $2.3 million in Bitcoin from another criminal group—Chaos.
In 2024, the total global losses from ransomware amounted to $813 million, which is 35% less compared to the peak of $1.25 billion in 2023. Experts explain this trend by the strengthening of international cooperation and increased law enforcement oversight. Despite the decrease in payouts, the number of attacks continues to rise, maintaining a high level of risk for organizations across various sectors.
Previously, Binance founder Changpeng Zhao urged cryptocurrency companies to increase their attention to cyber threats from North Korean hacker groups.