Gigabyte Ransomware Attack Includes Intel, AMD Confidential Documents

Given how the world today revolves around data and digital files, it shouldn't be a surprise how ransomware has become the most dangerous and also most rampant form of malware in recent years. From individual users to large corporations, anyone and everyone can be a victim, with larger entities promising the biggest potential profits. That could be the case with Taiwan-based computer hardware manufacturer Gigabyte, whose latest cyberattack incident puts other tech giants also at risk.

Gigabyte admitted on Friday that it did suffer a security intrusion that forced them to shut down many of its servers in Taiwan. This affected the company's support site, where customers reported problems accessing not just the website but also support documents and other critical pieces of information.

The company didn't exactly call it a ransomware attack, but the information that BleepingComputer acquired pointed exactly to that. More worryingly, the masterminds behind that attack is allegedly the RansomEXX gang, formerly known as Defray, the same operation behind several high-profile cybersecurity incidents across the globe. While many of the group's victims have been government-related agencies, it has also attack several private companies, with Gigabyte possibly the biggest one.

What makes this incident more complicated for Gigabyte is that the attackers claim to have been able to download 112GB worth of files. Those files include confidential material from partners like Intel, AMD, and American Megatrends. Rather than just waiting for Gigabyte to pay the ransom in order to decrypt files, RansomEXX is threatening to publish the pilfered documents to further put pressure on the company.

Authorities naturally frown upon companies rewarding criminal acts by paying the demanded sum, but Gigabyte wouldn't be the first to cave in if it did. Most ransomware cyberattacks remain hidden behind closed doors, and the public never gets to know whether ransoms were paid anyway. Naturally, Gigabyte has remained mum on the matter, especially since the incident also affects other tech giants' secrets.