In Italy, a series of cyberattacks have been claimed by hackers within the past day. The attacks targeted prominent companies and organizations, allegedly carried out by the RansomHub and RansomHouse groups. RansomHub focused on attacking Cloud Europe, a data center in Rome, and Mangimi Fusco, an animal food manufacturer. On the other hand, RansomHouse targeted Francesco Parisi, a group of freight forwarding and shipping agents based in Trieste.
Cloud Europe, a Tier IV certified data center specializing in data center design and management, was reportedly hit by RansomHub, who claimed to have encrypted servers and stolen over 70 TB of data. Similarly, Mangimi Fusco, an animal food manufacturer, was targeted by RansomHub as well, with claims of stealing 490 GB of sensitive data from the company. Francesco Parisi, a longstanding shipping group, also fell victim to cyber theft, with RansomHouse allegedly stealing 150 GB of data.
Despite these claims, a closer examination of the websites of Cloud Europe and Mangimi Fusco revealed no visible signs of a ransomware attack as described by the threat actors. However, Francesco Parisi displayed a disclaimer on its website acknowledging the hacker attack and reassuring customers of necessary measures to restore operations and protect data. The company emphasized the importance of security and investigating the incident to prevent future attacks.
When reached out for comments, both Cloud Europe and Mangimi Fusco did not provide any official statements regarding the alleged cyberattacks by the RansomHub group, leaving the claims unverified at the time of publication.
The history of RansomHub traces back to February 2024, where it originated as a Ransomware-as-a-Service platform targeting organizations in the IT & ITES sector. The group focuses on financial gain through sophisticated encryption techniques and operates globally with hackers from different locations. In contrast, RansomHouse emerged in March 2022 as an extortion-focused group that claims to “shine a light” on companies with poor security practices. The group refrains from encrypting data and only accepts Bitcoin payments.
As the cyber threats continue to evolve, organizations are urged to prioritize cybersecurity measures to protect their data and systems. The ransomware attacks in Italy serve as a reminder of the potential risks and consequences associated with cybercrime. While the affected companies work towards resolving the security breaches, the broader cybersecurity landscape remains vigilant in combating such malicious activities.