In our earlier report, we discussed the breach of data security at Sony by a new ransomware group called ‘Ransomed.vc.’ Now, the question arises: who exactly is ‘Ransomed.vc,’ the group claiming responsibility for the Sony hack? Well, we have the answer.

But before that, let’s see the sequence of this latest hacking incident. It all started when the group claimed to have hacked into all of Sony’s systems and stolen 6,000 files. It includes screenshots of internal Sony pages, PowerPoint presentations, Java files, and a document tree of the entire leak.

They have also released screenshots of some of the stolen data on their leak sites. However, Cyber Security Connect didn’t think the proof was very good.  On the other hand, Sony has not yet confirmed the hack, but they have acknowledged that they are aware of the claims and are investigating the matter.

Who is ‘Ransomed.vc” that claims to have hacked Sony?

Well, to be honest, we have very little information about this new hacker group apart from information. It is a relatively new group. The hackers from this group may be operating from Russia and Ukraine but not completely sure.

According to a report from Siliconangle, Ransomed.vc made its first appearance in late August. Incident Response Analyst Ron Kaminsky mentioned on LinkedIn that this group employs a distinctive tactic related to the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). They threaten companies they have compromised with the possibility of GDPR fines following their website breaches.

In a short period of time, the group has already carried out a number of such full ransoms, demanding between €50,000 and €200,000 from their victims. They registered their website back in August, but it is currently down and they are most likely using Bitcoin as their primary transaction medium.

Popular hacking and ransomware incidents in past

Back in 2011, the gaming world faced a major crisis known as the PlayStation Network (PSN) hack. This massive security breach hit Sony’s online gaming platform hard. Hackers managed to break into the network, putting the personal details of 77 million users at risk. Everything from names to addresses and even credit card information was exposed. This led to a widespread sense of panic and a 23-day blackout of the service. The aftermath of this incident was a turning point, forcing the gaming industry to rethink its approach to cybersecurity and highlight the importance of strong protective measures.

• GSC Game World: In June 2023, hackers leaked dev builds of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl to the internet after successfully cyberattacking the game’s developer, GSC Game World.
• Capcom: In November 2020, Capcom fell victim to a cyberattack where hackers encrypted and stole over 1TB of internal game-related files, including source codes, accounting documents, contracts, and other highly confidential information. The hackers demanded a ransom of $11 million, but Capcom chose not to pay.
• Electronic Arts: In June 2021, hackers stole the source code for various company IPs, including FIFA 21, the Frostbite engine, and software development kits for the PlayStation and Xbox. The data was leaked online for anyone to illegally access and download.
• Nintendo: In 2020, hackers compromised 300,000 Nintendo accounts and gained access to enough data to enable fraudulent activity.
• and most recently, Nintendo: Hackers successfully compromised 300,000 Nintendo accounts two years ago, gaining access to sufficient data for fraudulent activities. This incident raised concerns about the security of Nintendo’s user accounts.

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