DataBreaches.Net

Menu
  • About
  • Breach Notification Laws
  • Privacy Policy
  • Transparency Report
Menu

SIAE (Italian Society of Authors and Publishers) hit by ransomware; threat actors claim they were in the network for 6 months

Posted on October 24, 2021 by Dissent

If you are interested in ransomware attacks or other attacks on Italian entities, you should bookmark SuspectFile.com.  Marco A. De Felice generally publishes in Italian, but machine translations are usually very clear — and if there is something you don’t understand, Marco is happy to explain how things work in Italy if you hit him up on Twitter @amvinfe or email him at his web site.

This past week, Marco has been reporting — and updating — an attack by Everest on SIAE (the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers). It turns out that that organization collects and stores more personal information than I would have thought for a copyright protection organization because the authors have to provide documentation that may include their tax code information on health insurance cards or other identity cards.

When SIAE did not agree to pay ransom, Everest did what these groups often do — they started dumping data to increase pressure on their victim.  SuspectFile reported:

Further confirmation that we can give is that among the 2 GB of documents published in the TOR network there are passports, identity cards, health cards, telephone numbers, emails, personal addresses, IBAN codes of many Italian artists of entertainment, music, of the theater, many of which are famous not only in Italy.

The threat actor(s) also offered to sell all of the data they had exfiltrated for a one-time sale of $500,000.

Reports that they were contacting individual authors or artists to try to extort them to pay ransom were denied by Everest.

SuspectFile will continue to update this story as they have made contact with Everest, who seems willing to answer their questions. One of the details SuspectFile exclusively reported was Everest’s comments on accessing SIAE:

Everest replied that their stay in the computer systems lasted 6 months, therefore a considerable time that certainly allowed them to have full access to all the documentation present in the databases and to modify the entire intranet, such as the same spokesman confirmed to us.

…I had access for half a year, I accidentally found that they store all their documents this way. This shocked me a little, I often meet with the carelessness of companies, but this is the first time. I had full access to edit the intranet

What will Italy’s Privacy Guarantor say about all that now that they have opened an investigation into the incident?

You can find all of Marco’s coverage on their site.

Article updated to add link to press release about the Guarantor opening an investigation.

Category: Business SectorMalwareNon-U.S.

Post navigation

← Waikato DHB failed OIA requirements over cyber security breach – Ombudsman
Tech Etch notifying employees of August ransomware incident →

Now more than ever

"Stand with Ukraine:" above raised hands. The illustration is in blue and yellow, the colors of Ukraine's flag.

Search

Browse by Categories

Recent Posts

  • PowerSchool hacker pleads guilty, released on personal recognizance bond
  • Rewards for Justice offers $10M reward for info on RedLine developer or RedLine’s use by foreign governments
  • New evidence links long-running hacking group to Indian government
  • Zaporizhzhia Cyber ​​Police Exposes Hacker Who Caused Millions in Losses to Victims by Mining Cryptocurrency
  • Germany fines Vodafone $51 million for privacy, security breaches
  • Google: Hackers target Salesforce accounts in data extortion attacks
  • The US Grid Attack Looming on the Horizon
  • US govt login portal could be one cyberattack away from collapse, say auditors
  • Two Men Sentenced to Prison for Aggravated Identity Theft and Computer Hacking Crimes
  • 100,000 UK taxpayer accounts hit in £47m phishing attack on HMRC

No, You Can’t Buy a Post or an Interview

This site does not accept sponsored posts or link-back arrangements. Inquiries about either are ignored.

And despite what some trolls may try to claim: DataBreaches has never accepted even one dime to interview or report on anyone. Nor will DataBreaches ever pay anyone for data or to interview them.

Want to Get Our RSS Feed?

Grab it here:

https://databreaches.net/feed/

RSS Recent Posts on PogoWasRight.org

  • How the FBI Sought a Warrant to Search Instagram of Columbia Student Protesters
  • Germany fines Vodafone $51 million for privacy, security breaches
  • Malaysia enacts data sharing rules for public sector
  • U.S. Enacts Take It Down Act
  • 23andMe Bankruptcy Judge Ponders Trump Bill’s Injunction Impact
  • Hell No: The ODNI Wants to Make it Easier for the Government to Buy Your Data Without Warrant
  • US State Dept. says silence or anonymity on social media is suspicious

Have a News Tip?

Email: Tips[at]DataBreaches.net

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

Contact Me

Email: info[at]databreaches.net

Mastodon: Infosec.Exchange/@PogoWasRight

Signal: +1 516-776-7756

DMCA Concern: dmca[at]databreaches.net
© 2009 – 2025 DataBreaches.net and DataBreaches LLC. All rights reserved.