https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/13/dc-police-suffer-massive-info-leak-after-ransomware-attack Live * NewsMenu switch + Middle East + Africa + Asia + US & Canada + Latin America + Europe + Asia Pacific * Coronavirus * Features * Economy * Opinion * Video * MoreMenu switch + Investigations + Interactives + In Pictures + Climate + Science & Technology + Sports + Podcasts News|Cybercrime DC police suffer 'massive' info leak after ransomware attack Leak 'possibly the most significant ransomware incident to date' due to threat to Washington, DC officers, expert says. Ransomware attacks are reaching 'epidemic' proportion, experts say [File: Kacper Pempel/Illustration/Reuters] Ransomware attacks are reaching 'epidemic' proportion, experts say [File: Kacper Pempel/Illustration/Reuters] 13 May 2021 The police department in the United States capital has suffered a massive leak of internal information after refusing to meet the blackmail demands of a Russian-speaking ransomware syndicate. Experts said it i the worst known ransomware attack ever to hit a US police department. The gang, known as the Babuk group, released thousands of the Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department's sensitive documents on the dark web Thursday. A review by The Associated Press found hundreds of police officer disciplinary files and intelligence reports that include feeds from other agencies, including the FBI and Secret Service. Ransomware attacks have reached epidemic levels as foreign criminal gangs paralyse computer networks at state and local governments, police departments, hospitals and private companies. They demand large payments to decrypt stolen data or to prevent it from being leaked online. A cyberattack last week shut down the Colonial Pipeline, the nation's largest fuel pipeline, prompting petrol-hoarding and panic-buying in parts of the Southeast. [371658274]Fuel holding tanks are seen at Colonial Pipeline's Linden Junction Tank Farm on May 10, 2021, in Woodbridge, New Jersey, after the pipeline was forced to shut down its oil and gas system after a ransomware attack [Michael M Santiago/Getty Images]Brett Callow, a threat analyst and ransomware expert at the security firm Emsisoft, said the police leak ranks as "possibly the most significant ransomware incident to date" because of the risks it presents for officers and civilians. Some of the documents included security information from other law enforcement agencies related to President Joe Biden's inauguration, including a reference to a "source embedded" with a militia group. One document detailed the steps the FBI has taken in its investigation of two pipe bombs left at the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee and the Republican National Committee before the insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6. That includes "big data pulls" of cell towers, and plans to "analyze purchases" of Nike shoes worn by a person of interest, the document said. The police department did not immediately respond to an AP request for comment, but has previously said some officers' personal information was stolen. Some of that information was previously leaked, revealing personal information of some officers taken from background checks, including details of their past drug use, finances and -- in at least one incident -- of past sexual abuse. The newly released files include details of disciplinary proceedings of hundreds of officers dating back to 2004. The files often contain sensitive and embarrassing private details. "This is going to send a shock through the law enforcement community throughout the country," Ted Williams, a former officer at the department who is now a lawyer, told The Associated Press. He is representing a retired officer whose background file was included in an earlier leak. Williams said having background checks and disciplinary files made public makes it difficult for officers to do their jobs. "The more the crooks know about a law enforcement officer, the more the crooks try to use that for their advantage," he said. The Babuk group indicated this week that it wanted $4m not to release the files, but was only offered $100,000. Absolutely fascinating to see the actual negotiations between the Police and the Babuk ransomware attackers. For more chat logs and transcripts, follow @NatSecGeek who is covering this much better than I ever could. pic.twitter.com/ REtwLD8udK -- Ray [REDACTED] (@RayRedacted) May 13, 2021 The department has not said whether it made the offer. Any negotiations would reflect the complexity of the ransomware problem, with police finding themselves forced to consider making payments to criminal gangs. The FBI, which is assisting in this case, discourages ransomware payments. Source: AP --------------------------------------------------------------------- Related Colonial Pipeline describes itself as the largest refined products pipeline in the US, responsible for transporting 2.5 million barrels per day of various grades of gasoline, diesel fuel, home heating oil, jet fuel and fuels for the US military along 5,500 miles of underground pipe [File: Chris Carlson/AP Photo] Colonial Pipeline posted cybersecurity job opening before attack The job posting for Colonial Pipeline's 'manager of cybersecurity' role was still live on its website on Wednesday. 12 May 2021 This is not the first time Colonial has been forced to shut down. In 2016, an explosion kept the system offline for days, raising gasoline prices and forcing the New York Harbor market to become more dependent on imports of fuel from overseas [File: Mark Kauzlarich/ Bloomberg] US's Colonial Pipeline announces restart following cyberattack Even with service restored, it will take about 2 weeks for gasoline in Houston to reach East Coast filling stations. 12 May 2021 Colonial, which operates the largest fuel pipeline in the United States, became aware of the hack around May 7 and shut down its operations, which led to fuel shortages and lines at gas stations along the East Coast [File: Jonathan Drake/Reuters] Colonial Pipeline paid hackers $5M to get fuel flowing: Sources Colonial Pipeline Co paid nearly $5m to Eastern European hackers on Friday, sources tell Bloomberg News. 13 May 2021 More from News WTO can show 'relevance' with vaccine waiver, US trade rep says United States Trade Representative, Katherine Tai, speaking to the House Ways and Means Committee, said she was committed to entering negotiations over COVID-19 vaccine waivers that take into account concerns from all sides, including drug companies [File: Pete Marovich/The New York Times via AP/Pool] Cathie Wood's ETF assets fall below $40bn, but loyal fans hang on Throughout the downturn, Cathie Wood has said repeatedly that her strategies haven't changed and that she invests with a five-year time horizon [File: Bloomberg] US stocks bounce back from three-day losing streak Recent economic data has prompted inflation fears as scarcity of both materials and workers threatens to send prices surging in the face of a demand boom [File: Brendan McDermid/Reuters] Palestinians in Gaza mourn loved ones killed in Israeli air raids A Palestinian man walks past the remains of a tower which was destroyed by Israeli air strikes in Gaza City [Suhaib Salem/Reuters] Most Read Israel masses forces near Gaza as air strikes continue Palestinians walk next to the remains of a destroyed 15-storey building after being hit by Israeli air strikes on Gaza City [Khalil Hamra/AP] Celebrities weigh in on Israel-Palestine conflict Bella Hadid (left) and Gal Gadot (right) are among celebrities who have been posting about the Israel-Palestine conflict [Reuters] Gaza death toll over 100 as Israel escalates aerial bombardment A ball of fire engulfing the al-Walid building which was destroyed in an Israeli air strike on Gaza city [AFP] After Musk Bitcoin U-turn, which coins are more climate friendly? 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