The latest ransomware attack on a US IT company potentially targeted 1,000 businesses and amongst them was one of Sweden’s biggest supermarket chains. It had to temporarily close around 800 stores after losing access to its checkouts. Researchers have claimed that the attack was orchestrated by Russian-based hackers, and it’s being reported that this attack is also a part of the recent chain of ransomware attacks being carried out by alleged Russian-based groups.
The US President Joe Biden recently raised the threat in talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Biden has reportedly ordered a full investigation on Saturday and stated that “the initial thinking was it was not the Russian government, but we’re not sure yet. I’ll know better tomorrow, and if it is either with the knowledge of and/or a consequence of Russia, then I told Putin we will respond.”
Kaseya, a leading provider of IT and security management services to small and medium-sized businesses, and one of the IT companies that were targeted in the attack stated that it had limited the attack to “a very small percentage of our customers” who use its signature VSA software — “currently estimated at fewer than 40 worldwide.”
Coop Sweden, which accounts for around 20 percent of the country’s supermarket sector, said that “One of our subcontractors was hit by a digital attack, and that’s why our checkouts aren’t working anymore. We regret the situation and will do all we can to reopen swiftly.”
According to reports, Kaseya became aware of a possible security breach incident with VSA on midday Friday on the US East Coast and went to “immediately shut down” its servers as a “precautionary measure.” The swift decision by the company led to a further reduction in the damage caused by the Ransomware attack.
The company also “notified our on-premises customers via email, in-product notes, and phone to shut down their VSA servers to prevent them from being compromised. We believe that we have identified the source of the vulnerability and are preparing a patch to mitigate it.”
