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Toronto Zoo Shares Update on Last Year's Ransomware Attack
The Toronto Zoo, Canada's largest zoo, has provided an update on the data stolen during a devastating ransomware attack in January 2024. The incident had a significant impact on the personal and financial information of various individuals, including employees, former employees, volunteers, and donors.
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The scope of the breach was revealed by the Toronto Zoo in its final notification regarding the cyberattack, which affects varying combinations of sensitive data. The exposed information includes:
- Transaction data: names, street addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, last four digits of credit card numbers, and associated expiration dates.
- Guests' and members' personal data from transactions made between January 2022 and April 2023, including general admission and membership purchases.
The Toronto Zoo initially disclosed the incident on January 8, assuring that it did not impact the animals' well-being or day-to-day operations. However, the zoo reported the data breach to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (the IPC) and advises those affected to monitor their financial account statements for suspicious activity.
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While Toronto Zoo has not officially linked the incident to a specific threat actor or hacking group, Akira ransomware operation claimed the breach in January 2024. The cybercrime gang published the allegedly stolen data on their dark web leak site, claiming they've stolen 133GB of files from the zoo's compromised file server.
The Akira ransomware operation has gained notoriety after adding multiple high-profile victims worldwide across various industry verticals. According to an FBI advisory, the gang has breached over 250 organizations and collected roughly $42 million in ransom payments until April 2024.
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Key Facts About Akira Ransomware Operation
- Akira emerged two years ago, in March 2023. - The gang demands ransoms ranging from $200,000 to millions of dollars, depending on the size of the compromised organization. - So far, Akira has claimed multiple high-profile victims, including Stanford University, Nissan Oceania, and Nissan Australia. - Since its surfacing, the gang has added over 300 organizations to its dark web leak site.
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of cybersecurity measures for organizations, especially those handling sensitive information. The Toronto Zoo's update highlights the need for vigilance in protecting personal data from cyber threats like ransomware attacks.