Hackers demand 565 BTC ransom from PEMEX oil company

Hackers demand 565 BTC from the Mexican oil company Petroleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), threatening to shut down its computer and administrative systems if it does not pay the ransom for 48 hours.

According to PEMEX, a few days ago the company discovered hacking attempts that were fixed in a timely manner, so only 5% of all the company’s systems were affected. Using patches to the software, PEMEX specialists reconnected uninfected computers to the network, while formatting the media on compromised computers.

According to some PEMEX employees, the company temporarily suspended due to a hacker attack. Many employees were unable to access email, as well as payment processing systems, so they had to interact with each other through WhatsApp. In addition, PEMEX personnel were forced to disconnect from the network and use data backups.

As you know, cybercriminals attacked the company with the help of the Ryuk ransomware program, which is usually used to attack large firms with annual revenues from $ 500 to $ 1 billion.

Recall that last month, hackers hacked Johannesburg’s municipal information office, the largest city in the Republic of South Africa, demanding a ransom of 4 BTC from the authorities. However, the city administration refused to pay the ransom to the attackers.