Ransomware – OfdmFORUM

Building automation giant Johnson Controls hit by ransomware attack

October 18, 2023 Audrey

Johnson Controls International has suffered what is described as a huge ransomware attack that encrypted lots of of the corporation devices, including VMware ESXi servers, impacting the company’s and its subsidiaries’ functions.

Johnson Controls is a multinational conglomerate that develops and manufactures industrial manage techniques, safety tools, air conditioners, and hearth safety equipment.

The company employs 100,000 people today by means of its corporate operations and subsidiaries, like York, Tyco, Luxaire, Coleman, Ruskin, Grinnel, and Simplex.

A weekend cyberattack

Yesterday, a source explained to BleepingComputer that Johnson Controls endured a ransomware attack soon after initially staying breached at its Asia offices.

BleepingComputer has since learned that the corporation endured a cyberattack around the weekend that brought about the firm to shut down portions of its IT programs.

Due to the fact then, many of its subsidiaries, such as York, Simplex, and Ruskin, have started to display specialized outage messages on website login internet pages and shopper portals.

“We are presently dealing with IT outages that might limit some buyer programs these kinds of as the Simplex Buyer Portal,” reads a message on the Simplex web site.

“We are actively mitigating any potential impacts to our products and services and will continue to be in conversation with clients as these outages are resolved.”

Johnson Controls technical outage message on York website — **Johnson Controls technological outage information on York web site**
*Supply: BleepingComputer*

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Clients of York, one more Johnson Controls subsidiary, report that they are getting explained to the company’s units are down, with some stating they have been told it was owing to a cyberattack.

“Their computer system process crashed about the weekend. Manufacturing and all the things is down,” a York customer posted to Reddit.

“I talked to our rep and he explained somebody hacked them,” posted another buyer.

This morning, Nextron Units risk researcher Gameel Ali tweeted a sample of a Dark Angels VMware ESXi encryptor that contains a ransom take note stating it was utilized from Johnson Controls.

Dark Angels ransom note — **Dim Angels ransom take note**
*Source: BleepingComputer*

BleepingComputer has been instructed that the ransom note back links to a negotiation chat wherever the ransomware gang needs $51 million to give a decryptor and to delete stolen data.

The menace actors also claim to have stolen above 27 TB of corporate knowledge and encrypted the company’s VMWare ESXi virtual machines through the assault.

BleepingComputer has contacted Johnson Controls with thoughts regarding the assault but has not received a response.

Following publication of our tale, Johnson Controls verified the cybersecurity incident in a Form 8-K submitting with the SEC, stating that they are functioning with external cybersecurity experts to examine the incident and coordinating with insurers.

“Johnson Controls International plc (the “Company”) has experienced disruptions in portions of its interior info technologies infrastructure and programs ensuing from a cybersecurity incident. Promptly following detecting the difficulty, the Firm began an investigation with guidance from leading external cybersecurity professionals

Attack on Well being Dept. Computer systems Was “Ransomware,” Hogan and Cyber Czar Admit

January 18, 2022 Audrey

Gov. Lawrence J. Hogan Jr. and top rated Maryland Division of Well being officials acknowledged for the initially time Wednesday that the perpetrators of the attack on the agency’s laptop technique sought a ransom payment from the state.

The point out has not paid out those people dependable for the attack, Hogan (R) mentioned.

“Unlike Texas and I assume a few of other dozen states, we haven’t missing hundreds of tens of millions of pounds, and we have not compromised thousands and thousands of peoples’ info,” he explained. “But it’s a big challenge. It’s a ransomware assault and they’re concentrating on well being departments throughout the place.”

Prior to Wednesday’s announcement, officials would only refer to the Dec. 4 attack on the agency’s community as an “incident.” On Wednesday morning, Maryland Matters printed a report on the broad impacts the outage carries on to have on the state health section and the 24 nearby health departments who function intently with MDH.

“While the investigation is ongoing — and developing on a parallel track to our restoration endeavours — we can validate this substantially these days: this was, in reality, a ransomware attack,” said Maryland Chief Information and facts Stability Officer Chip Stewart in a assertion. Stewart described the unknown attackers’ demand from customers as “an extortion payment.”

Ransomware attacks, which often originate overseas, protect against government agencies and businesses from accessing their own information and facts and data programs right up until the entity less than siege helps make a payment.

Stewart explained that the condition has not designed any these types of payment and, at his recommendation “after consulting with our distributors and condition and federal regulation enforcement, will not be doing so.”

Legislation enforcement and cybersecurity authorities have noticed that wellness and hospital techniques are progressively staying qualified by destructive actors during the pandemic, Stewart said.

For almost six months, the Office of Health and fitness and community overall health authorities have been battling to recuperate from the ongoing repercussions of the assault. Hogan and state overall health and cybersecurity officials have been limited-lipped about the investigation.

Atif T. Chaudhry, the deputy secretary of functions for the Department of Wellness, claimed that the agency and the Department of Data Technological know-how are operating carefully to resolve the remaining troubles brought about by the assault, and are coordinating with the federal government.

Stewart mentioned Wednesday that “to this point” in the ongoing investigation, there has been no evidence that state details was compromised.

On Thursday, the Dwelling Health and Federal government Operations and Senate Instruction, Overall health and Environmental Affairs — alongside with the Joint Committee on Cybersecurity, Information and facts Technologies