(Rafael Henrique/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Sony is investigating a potential hack involving Insomniac Games, a Playstation studio best known for developing Marvel’s Spider-Man series.
As Cyberdaily.au first reported, ransomware gang Rhysida claims to have stolen data from Insomniac and is now trying to auction off the information for 50 bitcoin, or $2 million.
“With just 7 days on the clock, seize the opportunity to bid on exclusive, unique, and impressive data,” the Rhysida gang writes on its website, which can be viewed on the dark web. “Open your wallets and be ready to buy exclusive data. We sell only to one hand, no reselling, you will be the only owner!”
It's unclear how much data was looted. But to prove the hack is real, the group also posted a snapshot of some of the stolen data, including images of emails, tax forms, and passports apparently from Insomniac employees. In addition, the gang posted screenshots that appear to show in-game footage from Marvel's Wolverine game, which Insomniac has been working on.
In response, Sony told IGN: “We are aware of reports that Insomniac Games has been the victim of a cyber security attack. We are currently investigating this situation. We have no reason to believe that any other SIE or Sony divisions have been impacted."
According to US officials, the Rhysida gang is an emerging ransomware threat that’s been targeting a number of different sectors, including education, IT, and healthcare, since May. Like other ransomware providers, the group sells access to its Windows-based ransomware code to affiliates, who then initiate the attacks. The resulting profits are then shared.
“Rhysida actors have commonly been observed authenticating to internal VPN access points with compromised valid credentials, notably due to organizations lacking MFA (multi-factor authentication) enabled by default,” a November alert from US cyber authorities says. In other cases, the group will use phishing emails to break into a company’s IT systems.