Payroll Data Breach: Hackers Deliver “Ultimatum” to Companies

The recent large-scale hack of payroll data has caused yet another headache for businesses already struggling to maintain cybersecurity measures. On June 14, the Russian-based group Clop ransomware gang released “an ultimatum” demanding email communication from the companies affected, including the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), British Airways, Boots, the University of Rochester, and Irish airline Aer Lingus. The hacking gang accessed the data by breaking into a popular business software service called MOVEit, apparently the gateway to the databases of potentially hundreds of companies.

## Ultimatum on Dark Web

According to BBC reports, the Clop group posted on the dark web in broken English warning affected companies to email them before June 14, stressing the ultimatum amongst a partial quotation of the following statement:

“This is an announcement to educate companies who use Progress MOVEit product that chance is that we download a lot of your data as part of an exceptional exploit,”

The group went ahead to encourage companies to send an email to the gang, and begin negotiation on its dark web portal or risk the private data being published. However, employers are being urged not to pay a ransom if demanded, regardless of how convincing the proposal may appear to be.

## Zellis Claims Eight Customers Affected

The UK’s leading payroll provider Zellis recently revealed that eight of its customers had been affected by the “global issue,” probably exposing personal data such as names, addresses, and banking information. The Clop group is increasingly blamed by cybersecurity experts, though there is no official report that confirms the gang was behind the attack. However, Microsoft analysts claim that Clop was indeed responsible going by the techniques used in the hack.

## Moveit File Transfer Software Zero Day Flaw

The hacking operation appeared to have exploited a zero-day flaw in MOVEit Software to transfer payroll data with ease. Zero-day refers to an undisclosed software vulnerability that attackers can utilize to breach software security consciously. The vulnerability of the Moveit File Transfer software used is a bug the vendor has yet to patch, making organizations still using the software even more vulnerable to such attacks.

## Preventing Payroll Data Breaches

The recent menace of ransomware attacks has left businesses at risk of data breaches, with payroll data breaches topping the list of cybercrime. Companies must adopt foolproof cybersecurity measures to avoid being caught unawares. Data breaches are not always an inescapable scenario; businesses can implement effective cybersecurity by investing in the latest cybersecurity software and expert IT personnel for risk assessment purposes to monitor the vulnerabilities and gaps that hackers can exploit.

## Conclusion

The rise of ransomware and payroll data breaches should sound alarms and increase concerns for companies to prioritize cybersecurity measures. Companies and institutions should evaluate and take the necessary cybersecurity measures from scratch, investing in the right IT staff, the latest software, and valuable training for staff. It is essential to monitor the systems carefully and investigate cybersecurity weaknesses, providing vital learnings to prevent additional breaches in the future. Finally, when under attack, employers must be strong-willed and resist paying any ransom demand.