Data Leak After Reported Cyber Ransom Confirmed by Saudi Aramco

“Aramco recently became aware of the indirect release of a limited amount of company data which was held by third-party contractors,” the Middle Eastern oil major said Wednesday in an email. “We confirm that the release of data was not due to a breach of our systems, has no impact on our operations, and the company continues to maintain a robust cybersecurity posture.” In 2012, Saudi Arabia blamed unidentified people based outside the kingdom for a hack against the oil giant that aimed to disrupt production from the world’s largest exporter of crude. The so-called “spear-phishing” assault destroyed more than 30,000 computers within hours. A spokesman for the Interior Ministry declined at the time to identify any of the “several foreign countries” from which the attack originated. Continue Reading