Ransomware gang threatens Fred Hutch with data leak

Ransomware gang Hunters International is claiming responsibility for a November cyberattack on Seattle-based Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center that led to patients receiving blackmail threats, Bleeping Computer reported Dec. 15. 

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Hunters International has allegedly added Fred Hutchinson to an extortion portal on the dark web and threatened to release 533.1GB of data it claims to have taken from the healthcare organization’s networks.

According to the publication, the ransomware gang has released miniature previews of specific documents it is claiming are from Fred Hutchinson’s networks.

This comes shortly after patients of Fred Hutchinson reported receiving blackmail emails after hackers attacked the institution. The blackmail emails came from a Brazilian domain. 

Fred Hutchinson has been advising patients to not pay the ransom, report the messages to the FBI, and delete the emails and block the senders.

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