MOVEit Hack Affects 380+ Organizations and Over 20M People

Cl0p, the Russian cybercrime group responsible for the recent MOVEit hack, has continued to add to its list of alleged victims. Several new entities have been added, including public and private companies, state and local governments, universities, and other organizations. As part of its malicious strategy, Cl0p has issued threats to release the data of any alleged victims unless ransom demands are fulfilled.

According to cybersecurity firm Emsisoft, who has been closely tracking the campaign, there is evidence of 383 affected organizations, with 70 educational institutions in the United States among them. This happened through vendors, like the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA), who use or work with MOVEit, a secure file transfer software.

Some of the affected educational institutions include Stony Brook University, Middlebury College, Rutgers University, Loyola University Chicago, Trinity College in Connecticut, Colorado State University, the University of Dayton, and the University of Alaska.

Among the other victims, notable organizations include manufacturer ITT, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, Ireland's Commission for Communications Regulation, cosmetics giant Estée Lauder, communications equipment manufacturer Sierra Wireless, software firms Bluefin Payment Systems and Ventiv Technology, as well as TJX Companies, which operates T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and other retail stores.

A significant number of organizations have come forward through media reports, public statements, or regulatory disclosures, confirming the theft of their data. It is worth noting that fewer than 10% of the breached organizations have provided specific figures regarding the number of individuals affected by the data breach.

Although Cl0p has previously carried out traditional ransomware attacks, where a computer network is left encrypted and inaccessible unless payment is made, its current MOVEit campaign seems to focus on the exfiltration of data, which is used to bargain for a ransom.

Cl0p continues to add new victims to its data leak site on a daily basis, usually in groups of ten. John Hammond, a senior security researcher at Huntress, told SC Media that Cl0p "certainly knows how to drag out the news cycle," and the MOVEit exploitation incident “has continued for over a month and a half now.”