Ransomware Group That Stole Apple's MacBook Pro Schematics Taken Offline in Multi-Country Operation

[Kierkegaarden]

Maybe “taken offline” is the modern day “swimming with the fishes”.

 

[Mr. Dee]

They woke a bear and didn't like the result. ?

 

[ChrisA]

Kill them? This seems like a civil issue? Also, as said, they were not caught. This means no one knows who they are or where they live of even what country they live in.

I would bet a lot that Apple simply paid the $50 million and taking down the web site is a cover story. In fact taking down a web site is so trivial that it is not even news. All you have to do is notify the company who owns the domain name or failing that remove it from the registry. It not even "hacking" just some emails.

 

[CarlJ]

Yet, nobody seems to be able to stop the scam calls that say my PC is infected, or my car warranty is ending, or I won a complimentary stay at a 5 star hotel, or there's a suspicious charge on my Amazon account, or I left my garage door open.

...oh wait that last one was my neighbor. Thanks Karl!

You’re welcome. Oh, but I only get the car warranty calls - is there somewhere I have to sign up to get the others?

 

[anoobis]

So none of you know anything about what happened

 

[duanepatrick]

Finally, some good news.

 

[FriendlyMackle]

Kill them? This seems like a civil issue? Also, as said, they were not caught. This means no one knows who they are or where they live of even what country they live in.

I would bet a lot that Apple simply paid the $50 million and taking down the web site is a cover story. In fact taking down a web site is so trivial that it is not even news. All you have to do is notify the company who owns the domain name or failing that remove it from the registry. It not even "hacking" just some emails.

Probably somewhere in Russia, former Eastern Bloc countries, or China.

 

[bcollett]

Kill them? This seems like a civil issue? Also, as said, they were not caught. This means no one knows who they are or where they live of even what country they live in.

I would bet a lot that Apple simply paid the $50 million and taking down the web site is a cover story. In fact taking down a web site is so trivial that it is not even news. All you have to do is notify the company who owns the domain name or failing that remove it from the registry. It not even "hacking" just some emails.

Breaking into a computer network and stealing information is criminal theft. Just like someone breaking into houses and stealing items. Regardless, governments are involved in this because of the previous attack on critical infrastructure, not because they stole a mac schematic. Though if the theft was significant enough, the government would probably also get involved anyway since that is its duty - to protect US citizens and entities by investigating and prosecuting crimes.

 

[ksj1]

There is a saying here in the US: Don't poke the Apple!

 

[sw1tcher]

Glad to see them taken down, but I do wish governments would respond the same way to these kinds of attacks on individual citizens. The Colonial Pipeline was a big deal, but arguably the leaked schematics alone don't justify a military style takedown.

As someone else alluded to, the authorities were not after them for messing with Apple, but messing with the energy infrastructure of the United States.

REvil wasn't responsible for the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack though. It was DarkSide.

 

[sudo-sandwich]

This doesn't make sense. They haven't caught the perps, so how does taking down their website help? They can just leak elsewhere, even via a torrent.

 

[bcollett]

REvil wasn't responsible for the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack though. It was DarkSide.

This article is probably over stating them as “responsible” but many other sources are saying the groups are linked. It’s whoevers guess just how linked they are.

 

[MrTangent]

REvil wasn't responsible for the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack though. It was DarkSide.

According to this article, Darkside is an offshoot of REvil, thus the confusion.

Ransomware Pipeline Attack article.

 

[CIA]

I had to go back and look at the articles from April, but sure enough the schematics were spot on for the MBP's that were just released this week. They were "done" by April. Shows just how bad the chip delays are slowing everything down.

 

[Trusteft]

At this point with the money they have, I would assume that at least some of the largest companies would just send hit squads to take out some people/groups.

And I am not talking about the '80s '90s budget game rerelease line.

 

[Macbookprodude]

Serves Apple right.

 

[Wildkraut]

How did they leak these schematics?
Didn’t Apple use their super secure macOS and bullet proof iOS? ?

One more reason to lock all even more down?!

/s

 

[bigandtasty]

10% big guy

 

[redbeard331]

Hey now, they were just trying to edit out the notch, but got caught.

 

[laszlo182]

"foreign partner of the US government"

So another word for Australia then, the place America sends their cyber operations when it's illegal for them to do something stateside. Goes to show you how quickly Five Eyes will work together when one of their corporate overlords is under threat.

*israel

 

[polyphenol]

Yet, nobody seems to be able to stop the scam calls that say my PC is infected, or my car warranty is ending, or I won a complimentary stay at a 5 star hotel, or there's a suspicious charge on my Amazon account, or I left my garage door open.

...oh wait that last one was my neighbor. Thanks Karl!

I currently cannot think of a single reason anyone not in my country would ring me.

Simply being allowed to tell my telephone company to block all foreign calls would suit me. Surely they know whether the call is originating in my country or not and could do so reliably?

Yes, I appreciate some way round might be needed for unanticipated foreign calls. I have had valid USA and India support calls.

 

[himanshumodi]

I wonder if the upside was worth it?

 

[The_Gream]

I don’t think Apple paid. Historically, these groups don’t stop after being paid. They just keep asking for more and more and more.

Almost as bad as government taxes. (/s for the last part)

 

[nikaru]

Obviously, there is some foreign government behind this hackers group. Nobody is so dumb to think that Apple will ever pay 50 million dollars to group of hackers, even if they have stolen nude photos of Tim.

 

[apples_arrogance]

I don’t think Apple paid. Historically, these groups don’t stop after being paid.

They have to stop after being paid to keep up the incentive for others to actually pay. That’s the logic at play here.