These would be “highly sensitive” and “confidential” documents detailing the operation of the company, business and accounting records as well as software. The group of cybercriminals LockBit has just announced that it has pinned the French electronics giant Thales to its list, ordered to pay a ransom before Monday, November 7.
Internal investigation
For this defense sector company, which had achieved 16 billion euros in turnover in 2021, this extortion attempt unveiled Monday by Franceinfo is a big tile. Thales is indeed one of the major French players in cybersecurity, and any cyberattack against its organization is a bad blow for its image.
When questioned, the French company specifies that it has launched an internal investigation to determine the veracity of the cybercriminals’ allegations. indeed to be taken with tweezers.
This kind of shock announcement against large groups is indeed used to gain notoriety and allows them to establish their reputation in other extortion attempts. Thanks to its very aggressive marketing, LockBit has been able to recruit many affiliates, those who rent its tools to carry out cyberattacks. To the point of becoming one of the number one threats in the sector.
Attacks with varying success
Very active, LockBit has however already distinguished itself by numerous announcements which have made pschitt. Like for example this fake cyberattack against the French Ministry of Justice or the alleged hack of the cybersecurity giant Mandiant.
Ten months ago, the gang also claimed responsibility for the Thales hack. A hack that had been minimized by the defense electronics company. The data leak of internal tools and computer code from the Space Ops division of the Thales Alenia Space subsidiary, “low-level sensitivity data”, likely came from a code repository server external to the company.
If affiliates of the gang are visibly overselling their hacks, the gang is, however, to be taken seriously. Witness the attack this summer against La Poste Mobile, ordered to pay 1.4 million dollars in ransom, which the telephone operator did not pay. Or the intrusion against the South Ile-de-France Hospital Center, which brought the hospital to its knees at the start of the school year.