Sony is launching an investigation after a ransomware group claimed to have breached the company’s systems and announced its intention to sell the stolen data on the black market.
On Monday, Ransomed.vc claimed it had breached “all Sony systems” and was planning to sell the data as the company was “not wanting to pay.”
It also added it would likely begin publishing the information if it was not purchased by Thursday, Sept. 28, and the alleged breach came after Riot Games experienced a “social engineering attack” earlier this year.
Claims from the group are unverified, though there was proof-of-hack data posted that showed files, although it consisted of just 6,000—a small amount considering the grand claims the group made of breaching “all Sony systems.”
Sony confirmed to IGN on Sept. 26 that it’s investigating, stating: “We are currently investigating the situation, and we have no further comment at this time.”
It would not be the first time Sony has been a target for hackers, having been forced to deactivate servers for the PlayStation Network on April 20, 2011, after an “external intrusion.” It led to personal details from millions of accounts being compromised.
Sony was hit was a hefty fine of £250,000 ($396,100) for the breach of the Data Protection Act, which U.K. regulators said “could have been prevented.”
At this time, there is no indication of what data Ransomed.vc gained access to or whether any personal information of consumers has been compromised.
