Security Breach: Hackers Threaten to Release Trump Documents From Georgia Case Unless Ransom is Paid by Thursday
A hacking group known as LockBit has set a ransom deadline of Thursday morning to release Fulton County court documents – including files connected to the criminal case against Donald Trump.
Feb. 29 2024, Published 8:05 a.m. ET
A hacking group known as LockBit has set a ransom deadline of Thursday morning to release Fulton County court documents – including files connected to the criminal case against Donald Trump, RadarOnline.com has learned.
The group initially set a ransom deadline for Saturday, March 2, but recently moved the deadline up to 8:49 AM ET on Thursday, February 29.
The group initially set a ransom deadline for Saturday, March 2, but recently moved the deadline up to 8:49 AM ET on Thursday, February 29.
Although the exact amount of money demanded remains unclear, cybersecurity experts suggested that negotiations are taking place in private.
According to Business Insider, LockBit – which is led by a hacker using the pseudonym LockBitSupp – became operational again on Saturday, February 24 shortly after the FBI raided LockBit’s systems.
The group threatened to publish documents from Fulton County’s court system if its ransom demands were not met.
LockBit said the stolen documents "contain a lot of interesting things and Donald Trump's court cases that could affect the upcoming US election” via a message posted online in both English and Russian on Saturday.
LockBit – which is led by a hacker using the pseudonym LockBitSupp – became operational again on Saturday, February 24 shortly after the FBI raided LockBit’s systems.
"Personally I will vote for Trump because the situation on the border with Mexico is some kind of nightmare, Biden should retire, he is a puppet," LockBitSupp wrote in another message posted over the weekend.
LockBit initially breached Fulton County's computer systems on January 27 and disrupted the court’s services for weeks.
The group claimed to have backup copies of documents taken from the Fulton County government's website and renewed its ransom demands on Saturday, February 24.
Despite the threats, Fulton County officials have so far refused to pay any ransom to LockBit.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is prosecuting Trump for alleged election interference during the 2020 presidential election.
"We did not pay, nor did anyone pay on our behalf," Fulton County Commission Chair Robb Pitts said following the initial breach earlier this month.
"Our focus remains on safely restoring services for our citizens and we continue to work in close coordination with law enforcement," a spokesperson for Fulton County added.
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Law enforcement authorities, including the FBI, are said to be closely monitoring the situation as the new Thursday morning deadline quickly approaches.
LockBit's involvement in the hack has raised serious concerns about the security of sensitive court documents and sparked a nationwide interest due to the charges against Trump.
Law enforcement authorities, including the FBI, are said to be closely monitoring the situation as the new Thursday morning deadline quickly approaches.
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"It's always difficult to discern the meaning of messages like the one published by LockBit on Saturday," Oz Alashe, who serves as the CEO and founder of the cybersecurity firm CybSafe, told Business Insider this week.
"Whether the declaration of support for Trump is genuine, posturing aimed at taunting what they see as strong competitors and the FBI, or even an attempt to grab headlines, we don't know,” he added.
LockBit reportedly operates on a service model that provides sophisticated ransomware hacking tools to other hackers for deployment against various targets.
The hacking group has reportedly targeted over 2,000 victims and amassed more than $120 million in ransom funds over the years.
The U.S. Department of Justice recently unsealed an indictment that accused two Russian nationals of being behind LockBit’s hacking operations against Fulton County.
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