TOKYO (TR) – A hacker group has demanded a ransom of $1 million (approximately 150 million yen) from IT giant GMO Internet Group, Inc. following a cyberattack on its foreign exchange (FX) trading servers, reports TBS News (Oct. 27).
In a dramatic bid to prevent further damage ahead of a threatened deadline, GMO issued an urgent warning to its users: physically unplug your computer cables and turn off the power.
The cyber extortionists breached servers hosting GMO’s FX margin trading services, where unauthorized and fraudulent transactions have already been confirmed by the company.
A message posted on the attackers’ website gave the internet giant an ultimatum, demanding the $1 million payout by noon on Tuesday. In response to the looming threat, GMO instructed clients to immediately disconnect and power down their devices to sever any potential access.
Meanwhile, a specialized team of “white hat” hackers has been deployed to investigate the breach. The cybersecurity team is currently examining the physical devices of affected users to determine if malicious programs or malware have been planted on the terminals.
