Hacker Group Claims Responsibility for Cyberattack on Christie’s

A hacker group named RansomHub has claimed responsibility for a cyberattack on Christie’s auction house earlier this month. The attack, which occurred just before the start of a high-profile spring sales event involving over $850 million worth of art, forced Christie’s to suspend online bidding and accept offers only by phone or in person. Initially described as a ‘technology security issue’ by Christie’s, the incident has now been linked to unauthorized access by a third party.

RansomHub announced on the dark web that it had accessed sensitive information about wealthy art collectors and threatened to release the data by the end of May if their demands are not met. While the New York Times reported that it was not immediately possible to verify RansomHub’s claims, cybersecurity experts found the group’s claims plausible. Christie’s confirmed that a limited amount of personal data was compromised, though there is no evidence that financial or transactional records were affected.

RansomHub also claimed responsibility for a previous cyberattack on Change Healthcare, during which they allegedly stole four terabytes of patient data. The CEO of Change Healthcare’s parent company, UnitedHealth Group, admitted to paying a $22 million ransom to protect patient data.

Ransomware attacks are increasingly common, with significant financial implications for the targeted organizations. The FBI advises against paying ransoms, as it does not guarantee data protection and encourages further attacks.

By elevating cybersecurity measures and educating employees, companies can mitigate the risk of such attacks and protect sensitive information.