The hacker group REvil has grow to be a headache for a brand new sufferer: a 50-person agency primarily based in Albuquerque that consults with the federal authorities on security-related tasks.
Sol Oriens, which consults for the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Safety Administration, confirmed to CNBC that it turned conscious of the “cybersecurity incident” in May, its investigation is ongoing and regulation enforcement has been notified.
In an announcement, the corporate stated it “recently determined that an unauthorized individual acquired certain documents from our systems. Those documents are currently under review, and we are working with a third-party technological forensic firm to determine the scope of potential data that may have been involved.”
Sol Oriens didn’t title the attacker or verify that it was ransomware, however CNBC has realized that the well-known hacker group REvil was accountable for the assault, based on cybersecurity sources.
One cybersecurity agency, which has seen paperwork posted on the darkish net, informed CNBC that they embody invoices for NNSA contracts, descriptions of analysis and growth tasks managed by protection and vitality contractors dated as just lately as 2021 and wage sheets containing full names and social safety numbers of Sol Oriens workers.
Sol Oriens stated that it has “no current indication that this incident involves client classified or critical security-related information.” The firm declined to say if it paid a ransom to the attackers.
Sol Oriens, describes itself as a know-how analysis and growth agency. A current job posting on GlassDoor, for instance, stated the agency was searching for a program analyst who might help the NNSA with a “complex nuclear weapon sustainment program.”
The NNSA, an company throughout the Department of Energy, is accountable for sustaining the protection, safety and effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. It additionally works with the U.S. Navy on nuclear propulsion, and it responds to radiological emergencies within the U.S.
A spokesperson for the Department of Energy declined to remark. A spokesperson for the NSC declined to remark.
REvil was most just lately accountable for a ransomware assault on JBS, the world’s largest meatpacker, which fetched a ransom of $11 million. In April, REvil stole and revealed blueprints from Apple provider Quanta Computer. That assault reportedly claimed a $50 million ransom.
“In some ways, Sol Oriens, LLC is just one name among many,” cybersecurity agency Intel471 stated. “There’s no indication yet that the company was targeted because of the work it does, rather than just being another potential pay day for hackers.”
According to screenshots seen by CNBC, REvil threatened to disclose Sol Oriens’ knowledge and documentation on its weblog.
