Russia-Based Ransomware Gang Hacks NRA

A ransomware gang believed to operate out of Russia says it hacked the National Rifle Association, the most powerful gun-rights group in the United States, Alan Suderman reported for the Associated Press (AP).

Photo Insert: The NRA headquarters

The gang, which calls itself Grief, published a handful of what appear to be the NRA files on a dark website. The files, reviewed by AP, relate to grants the NRA has awarded. Ransomware gangs often post a victim’s files publicly in the hope of spurring them to pay out a ransom.

NRA spokesman Andrew Arulanandam said on Twitter that the NRA “does not discuss matters relating to its physical or electronic security” and takes “extraordinary measures” to protect its information.

A person with direct knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the NRA has had problems with its email system this week — a potential sign of a ransomware attack.

Ransomware attacks have spiked in recent years against all manner of companies and organizations, but rarely are the targets as politically sensitive as the NRA. The group has long enjoyed close ties to top Republican lawmakers and has been a major supporter of Republican candidates.

The NRA spent tens of millions of dollars in the past two presidential elections trying to help Donald Trump. The group has been beset by legal and financial troubles in recent years but remains a potent force politically and has more than 5 million members.s

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic