Sony Investigating Reported Ransomware Attack

Sony is investigating a possible digital attack after a ransomware group claimed to have broken the company's security and obtained data.

According to Cyber Security Connect (via IGN), a group called Ransomed.vc posted the claim on its leak sites, on both clear and dark nets. It wrote, “We have successfully compromissed [sic] all of sony systems. We wont ransom them! we will sell the data. due to sony not wanting to pay. DATA IS FOR SALE.”

The claim is currently unverified. However, Ransomed.vc did provide some proof-of-hack data. This proof includes images of an internal login page, an internal PowerPoint presentation showing test bench information, and some Java files.

The ransomware group also uploaded a full file tree of the leak, which seems to have less than 6,000 files. Cyber Security Connect described that amount as "small" compared to whole of Sony's systems, which the group has claimed to have breached. Included in the file tree are "build log files," Java resources, and HTML files. Ransomed.vc claimed it will post the data on September 28 if it is not purchased.

When IGN reached out to Sony for comment on September 26, it replied with a statement which read, “We are currently investigating the situation, and we have no further comment at this time.” It is currently unknown whether any user data was taken in the attack, if it actually occurred.

The last major hack of Sony's systems was back in 2014, when the personal data of Sony Pictures Entertainment employees was leaked, along with information about and data from the company's projects.