Security News > 2023 > May > Philly Inquirer says Cuba ransomware gang's data leak claims are fake news

The Philadelphia Inquirer has punched back at the Cuba ransomware gang after the criminals leaked what they said were files stolen from the newspaper.

While The Inquirer confirmed Cuba had claimed responsibility for the break-in, it insisted that any documents posted by the gang on the dark web were not swiped from the newspaper.

"We have seen no evidence to date that any data related to The Inquirer has been shared online," Inquirer Publisher and CEO Lisa Hughes said in a statement to The Register.

"Was Cuba scammed by a partner? Was this an intentional ploy to keep the company in the news cycle and under pressure without needing to weaken their negotiating position by releasing any data? Or did they upload the wrong company's data? It wouldn't be the first time a ransomware operation had done this," Callow told The Register.

While some threat analysts have noted a possible link between Cuba ransomware actors, RomCom Remote Access Trojan actors, and Industrial Spy ransomware actors, BlackBerry security researchers suggest the gang is a front for Russian state-sponsored hackers.

Last October, the Ukrainian government issued an alert about Cuba ransomware infections targeting critical networks in the country.

News URL

https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2023/05/24/philly_inquirer_cuba_ransomware/