A successful ransomware attack on a single company has spread to at least 200 organizations, according to cybersecurity firm Huntress Labs, making it one of the single largest criminal ransomware sprees in history.
The attack, first revealed Friday afternoon, is believed to be affiliated with the prolific ransomware gang REvil and perpetuated through Kaseya, an international company that remotely controls programs for companies that, in turn, manage internet services for businesses.
The timing, just ahead of Fourth of July weekend, is unlikely to be a coincidence. Ransomware hackers often time their attacks to start at the beginning of a holiday or weekend, as that minimizes the number of cybersecurity professionals who might be able to quickly jump on and stop the malicious software’s spread.
