by Chiara Rossi Facts, numbers and rumors about the hacker attack suffered by Mediaworld Did Mediaworld pay a ransom of about 50 million dollars in bitcoin to restore computer systems after the hacker attack? This is what is asked in institutional environments that follow cybersecurity, according to the indiscretions of Starting. The giant MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group, parent company of Mediaworld, suffered a cyber attack that blocked more than 3,000 of the company's servers located in various countries. The Courier had reported it. The cyber attack against the group that manages Mediaworld occurred through ransomware, a virus that blocks access to computer systems and unlocks them only after paying a ransom. As the Agi reported on 10 November, the company confirmed that its IT systems "have been the subject of targeted action". According to the Dutch website Rtlniwuws, the attacker would be the Ransomware Hive group, which allegedly demanded a ransom of 50 million. "On December 1, 2021, the ransomware group Hive claimed responsibility for the attack on its site, displaying the announcement of the data theft," reported the specialized site cybersecurity360. According to what Startmag learns from a person aware of the facts and who asked for anonymity, MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group would have paid the ransom of 50 million in bitcoins to recover the data. The company, contacted by Startmag for an official version, stated: "We have not paid any ransom". All the details. THE HACKER ATTACK ON MEDIAWORLD The giant MediaMarkt - of which the subsidiary Mediaworld is a part - is the largest consumer electronics retailer in Europe with over 1,000 stores in 13 countries and approximately 53,000 employees, in addition to a turnover of 20.8 billion euros. Between 7 and 8 November a cyber attack hit the MediaMarkt servers, blocking the computer systems. "At the moment there is no indication of the amount of a possible ransom, there are no published files, but the attribution of the attack appears," stressed the cybersecurity360 website on December 1st. "It will therefore be necessary to monitor the situation because everything can evolve at any time" added the newspaper. Source: Cybersecurity360.it THE REQUEST FOR REDEMPTION IN BITCOIN According to an initial reconstruction, the attackers would have asked for a ransom of about 50 million dollars in cryptocurrency to restore the data of over 3,100 servers located in various states. WHAT MEDIAWORLD DECLARED AT STARTMAG "The information systems of the MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group and its national organizations were the subject of a specific attack in early November. We have worked in full swing with internal and external experts to fully identify and recover affected systems. All systems in all countries have long since been fully functional again. All services are again available to customers without limitations, ”the company told Startmag. HAS MEDIAWORLD PAID? Regarding the question of the payment of the 50 million in bitcoins: “We have not paid any ransom,” MediaMarkt told Startmag. “No mention of the fact that it is a ransomware-type attack,” Il Sole 24 Ore stressed. But from the various reconstructions there does not seem to be any doubts. ALL IT ATTACKS IN THE LAST MONTHS The hacker attack on MediaMarktSaturn's computer systems comes a few days after the one in San Carlo. On 26 October, a ransomware-type hacker attack hit the Milanese company leader in the production of potato chips. Agi had revealed it first. From what the agency headed by Mario Sechi learns, the company would receive a ransom request after a cryptolocker-type ransomware attack called "Conti ''. It is the same type of the one that hit the Lazio Region in August, and similar to the one that hit Siae the week before. MEDIA ARTICLE
Hacker attack, has Mediaworld paid a ransom?