Security News > 2021 > April > Hackers threaten to leak stolen Apple blueprints if $50 million ransom isn't paid
Prominent Apple supplier Quanta on Wednesday said it suffered a ransomware attack from the REvil ransomware group, which is now demanding the iPhone maker pay a ransom of $50 million to prevent leaking sensitive files on the dark web.
In a post shared on its deep web "Happy Blog" portal, the threat actor said it came into possession of schematics of the U.S. company's products such as MacBooks and Apple Watch by infiltrating the network of the Taiwanese manufacturer, claiming it's making a ransom demand to Apple after Quanta expressed no interest in paying to recover the stolen blueprints.
The strategy seeks to pressure victim companies into paying up mainly by publishing a handful of files stolen from their extortion targets prior to encrypting them and threatening to release more data unless and until the ransom demand is met.
Affiliates typically receive 60% to 70% of the ransom payment.
All these aggressive shifts in tactics have paid off, as ransomware operators netted more than $350 million in 2020, a 311% jump from the previous year, according to blockchain analysis company Chainalysis.
The latest development also marks a new twist in the double extortion game, in which a ransomware cartel has gone after a victim's customer following an unsuccessful attempt to negotiate ransom with the primary victim.