Hunters International claims attack on Fred Hutch Cancer Center

Well, grab a cup of tea and settle in chums, as you’re going to be enthralled with this rather mysterious tale of cyber malfeasance and science. Remember what your old nan used to say, “Beware the boogie man online, too!” That certainly came to mind on the 8th of December. As you know, DataBreaches reported that the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center was beleaguered by ransomware. A bit of cloak-and-dagger, it seems the scallywags behind it were attempting to shake down patients directly.

Well, lo and behold, it did not take long to identify the perpetrators. A gang of online rogues by the name of Hunters International is responsible, as they’ve trumpeted this incident on their web page. As it stands, no data has been spilled just yet, but these troublemakers are toying with releasing a whopping 533.1 GB of files – that’s equal to a total of 711,627 documents! Their website also showcased 16 cryptic screenshots, but unfortunately, the details were as clear as mud.

It’s also worth noting, cheeky blighters that they are, Hunters typically like to leave some sort of mark when they’ve successfully locked a victim. Yet, in this case of Fred Hutch, there was no such indication. This strongly suggests that this was a pure data robbery, with no lock-and-key shenanigans involved.

Naturally, DataBreaches tried to play detective and sent some questions to these Hunters International chaps about the incident. They enquired if Fred Hutch was indeed locked by them and how they concluded that $50 per patient was a fair price for data removal. Lastly, they were eager to know how many victims decided to play ball and pay the sum. However, just like a frustrating ending to a thrilling book, Hunters International remained tight-lipped with no comment.

So, there you have it, folks! A chilling, suspenseful tale of healthcare and cybersecurity intermingling. So, remember always to be vigilant with your information online. And don’t forget what old nan used to say, the boogie man might be right around the corner, even on the internet.

by Parker Bytes