Hackers threaten to expose Trump scandal after attacking New York law firm, saying "no money, ugly truths!"

The hacker group REvil carried out a cyber attack on a New York law firm at the beginning of the month, stealing nearly 756 GB of confidential documents. The organization is now threatening to expose scandals involving US President Donald Trump if they do not receive a ransom of $42 million.

Renowned Law Firm Targeted in Cyberattack

Earlier this month, a prominent law firm, Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, known for its association with celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Drake, and Madonna, fell victim to a ransomware attack by REvil. Hackers threatened to gradually release the stolen confidential documents in 9 stages if the ransom was not paid. The stolen data includes sensitive information like confidential contracts, phone numbers, email addresses, personal correspondence, and nondisclosure agreements.

Brett Callow from the cybersecurity firm Emsisoft noted that as the law firm's data contains highly sensitive information of many clients, the breach could have serious privacy implications. Callow stated:

"This is bad news not only for the firm but also for the clients whose data has been exposed, who now face risks of ransom demands, spear-phishing, identity theft, and other forms of fraud."

The hacker group previously released a screenshot on the dark web containing folders named after celebrities like Madonna, Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, Ricky Martin, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and others.

Callow mentioned that the deliberate release of the screenshot is akin to "a kidnapper sending a victim's finger to the family," carrying a strong threat.

Trump Becomes Target

According to the latest report by the New York Post, if a ransom of $42 million is not received within a week, the hackers threaten to publicly disclose scandals related to US President Donald Trump.

"With the election in progress, we found a lot of dirty laundry on time. Mr. Trump, if you want to keep the presidency, please urge them to pay (referring to the law firm), otherwise, you may forget about your aspirations to be president. For you - voters, we will let you know that after the release of these documents, you definitely do not want to see him as president."

It is currently unclear if the hackers indeed possess confidential files related to Trump, as the report suggests no prior interactions between Trump and the law firm.

Law Firm's Response

The report claims that despite the hackers' threat to "destroy (the law firm) if no money is seen," the firm refuses to negotiate. The law firm believes that even if the ransom is paid, the hackers may still release the files. The FBI considers this hacking incident as a form of terrorism, and the US does not negotiate with terrorists. Brett Callow remarked:

"Companies in this situation have no good options... Even if they meet the ransom demand, if the data has a high market value, there is no guarantee that the criminals will actually destroy the stolen data. This data could still be sold."

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