Ethical Hacking News
Minnesota's capital city, Saint Paul, has recently been targeted by a notorious ransomware gang known as Interlock. This latest incident marks another example of the increasing threat posed by such cyberattacks, which can have far-reaching consequences for individuals and organizations alike.
The city of Saint Paul, Minnesota's capital, was targeted by Interlock ransomware gang. The city refused to pay the ransom, prompting the gang to leak allegedly stolen data online. The leaked files included sensitive information such as passport scans and employee records. The city is taking steps to address the situation, including a full reset of servers and staff passwords. Interlock ransomware gang is known for its double-extortion campaigns that combine data theft with encryption.
Minnesota's capital city, Saint Paul, has recently been targeted by a notorious ransomware gang known as Interlock. This latest incident marks another example of the increasing threat posed by such cyberattacks, which can have far-reaching consequences for individuals and organizations alike.
According to reports, the Interlock ransomware gang had previously issued an unknown ransom demand to the city of Saint Paul. In response to this demand, the city reportedly refused to pay the ransom, which appears to have prompted the gang to follow through on its threat to spill allegedly stolen data from the city's systems online.
The leaked data, published on Interlock's dark web leak site, includes over 66,000 files stolen from the city of Saint Paul. These files are said to include sensitive information such as scans of passports, employee records, and other internal documents. The gang has used this leak site to accuse Saint Paul officials of being "extremely careless and irresponsible" with the city's security, claiming that a large part of the infrastructure was damaged during the attack.
However, in a public statement on Monday, Mayor Malvin Carter confirmed that Interlock was indeed behind the attack. He stated that the published files appear to come largely from a single shared network drive used by the Parks and Recreation Department and are "varied and unsystematic". Furthermore, Carter assured residents that their personal or financial information has not been compromised, as it is held in a cloud-based application.
The city of Saint Paul has since taken steps to address the situation. The city remains in control of all its systems, with a full reset of servers, devices, and staff passwords underway. This initiative aims to prevent any potential exploitation of the vulnerabilities that may have been exploited during the attack.
The Interlock ransomware gang is also notable for its activities prior to this incident. According to reports, the gang has been active since at least September 2024 and conducts double-extortion campaigns that combine data theft with encryption to increase pressure on victims. The gang's playbook bears striking similarities to legacy groups such as BlackCat/ALPHV and LockBit.
The FBI and CISA had previously flagged Interlock just a week before this latest caper, warning that the gang was targeting critical infrastructure in increasingly vicious double-extortion campaigns. This highlights the importance of vigilance and proactive measures to prevent or mitigate such attacks.
In light of this incident, it is essential for organizations and individuals alike to take steps to protect themselves against ransomware threats. By staying informed about emerging trends and taking preventative measures, it may be possible to minimize the risk of falling victim to a cyberattack like the one experienced by Saint Paul.
Furthermore, the increasing threat posed by ransomware gangs such as Interlock underscores the need for governments and organizations to develop robust strategies for responding to and recovering from these types of attacks. By doing so, they can help ensure that citizens and businesses are protected from the devastating consequences of a successful attack.
In conclusion, the recent incident involving the Interlock ransomware gang highlights the ongoing threat posed by such cyberattacks. As the situation in Saint Paul continues to unfold, it is essential for officials and residents alike to remain vigilant and take proactive steps to protect themselves against similar threats in the future.
Minnesota's capital city, Saint Paul, has recently been targeted by a notorious ransomware gang known as Interlock. This latest incident marks another example of the increasing threat posed by such cyberattacks, which can have far-reaching consequences for individuals and organizations alike.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Ransomware-Gang-Interlock-Targets-Critical-Infrastructure-A-Closer-Look-at-the-Minnesota-City-Affair-ehn.shtml
https://go.theregister.com/feed/www.theregister.com/2025/08/13/ransomware_crew_spills_saint_pauls/
https://www.theregister.com/2025/08/13/ransomware_crew_spills_saint_pauls/
https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/city-st-paul-confirms-ransomware-attack/89-465ecc1e-4f2b-4951-ab9b-1b371c71e223
Published: Wed Aug 13 02:21:10 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M