GIGABYTE was attacked by ransomware

Acer and Apple are not the only computer makers to face recent ransomware attacks. According to media reports, the Taiwanese company GIGABYTE also faced a ransomware attack on August 3 and 4. While the news of the ransomware attack on GIGABYTE was published by the websites Beeping Computer and United Daily News, the company only confirmed that it had closed its IT infrastructure and that a number of its servers had been damaged by the attack, but there were hints. This attack may have been much worse.

The hacker group RansomEXX claims to have stolen 112 GB of sensitive internal data, as well as a repository of software code, including information on Intel and AMD chips and bug fix documents, according to Computer Blipping. The cyber attack affected GIGABYTE’s support page as well as other parts of the Taiwanese company’s website. GIGABYTE claims to have contacted police but it is not yet clear whether he paid the ransom.

The EXX ransomware group began operations in 2018 under the name Defrey, but changed its name in 2020, targeting key organizations including the Brazilian government, the Texas Department of Transportation, and the Ecuadorian government. The group is not thought to be linked to the hacker group REvil, which has attacked Acer and Apple, a supplier to Quanta.

According to Angjet, it is not surprising that PC companies are facing these attacks. Not only do these companies have money to pay ransom but they also have technology secrets that they want to keep. However, the series of attacks that have taken place are worrying. Aside from short-term financial damage, there are concerns that cyberattacks could lead to leaks of trade secrets that will cause long-term damage.