A French online retailer is a victim of cyber extortion

When computer hackers attack an online retailer’s network, the only solution is often negotiation. However, it is necessary to have the expertise required to limit the damages.

Our mission

Our client, an online stationery retailer with warehouses across Europe, was targeted in an IT infiltration, which was noticed by the company’s IT department. When an investigation was launched to uncover the source of the compromises, the cyber extortionists retaliated by fully encrypting all of the client’s servers. This caused the suspension of all business operations including delivery, supply and resupply in all European warehouses. The extortionists demanded a substantial crypto-currency sum to release the servers. Overwhelmed by the events, the client contacted Crisis24.

Our solutions

A Crisis24 cybercrime expert response consultant was assigned to the case and made the following recommendations:

• Client to conduct a Business Impact Analysis (BIA) to determine whether or not a ransom payment is appropriate.
• Develop a negotiation strategy with the client to reduce the extortion demand.
• Introduce the client to a crypto-currency provider in preparation to support a payment option.

The result

The cybercriminals agreed to a significantly reduced ransom and Crisis24 facilitated a secure payment via the crypto-currency partner. Viable decryption keys were received, and the client’s business operations eventually returned to normal.