Security News > 2021 > September > BlackMatter Ransomware Hits Japanese Tech Giant Olympus

Japanese technology giant Olympus is currently investigating a cyber incident on its EMEA IT systems that happened earlier this month that sources said is the result of a BlackMatter ransomware attack.

It appears Olympus was the victim of the BlackMatter ransomware group, one of the cybercriminal organizations that's risen to prominence after other purveyors of ransomware like DarkSide, REvil and Ragnarok shut down operations, according to a report in TechCrunch.

Citing a person "Familiar with the incident," the attack began in the early morning of Sept. 8, with BlackMatter claiming responsibility in a ransom note left on infected computers, according to the report.

Some believe BlackMatter is merely a rebranding of the former ransomware gang than an entirely new group, said one security expert.

"While it may seem we have had less ransomware attacks the past couple of months, we expect these types of double extorsion ransomware attacks to continue at full force the remainder of the year," he said.

The prospect of being hit by ransomware is something that keeps organizations "Up at night," noted Saryu Nayyar, CEO of risk analytics firm Gurucul.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/blackmatter-ransomware-olympus/169423/