An Iowa grain co-op said it was hit with a cyberattack that security researchers are linking to newly launched ransomware group BlackMatter, which the researchers said demanded $5.9 million to unlock the organization’s data
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“Out of an abundance of caution, we have proactively taken our systems offline to contain the threat, and we can confirm it has been successfully contained,” the co-op said in a statement. A recently launched ransomware group known as BlackMatter said on its website that it had encrypted New Cooperative’s data and stolen 1,000 gigabytes worth of files, including invoices, research and development documents, and the source code to its soil-mapping technology. The hackers demanded $5.9 million in cryptocurrency by Sept. 25 for a tool to decrypt the data, according to cybersecurity firm Recorded Future, which tracks ransomware attacks but isn’t working with New Cooperative.