Telecom giant Orange has reportedly suffered another devastating ransomware attack, with hacker group Babuk claiming responsibility. The cybercriminals posted a data sample on their website, alleging that they successfully breached Orange and stole a massive trove of sensitive information.
Cybercriminals Demand Negotiation, Threaten to Release Trove of Stolen Information
Babuk claims to have infiltrated Orange.com and Orange.ro (the company’s Romanian division) on Sunday, March 16. The group warns that they will leak 1TB of stolen data unless Orange agrees to negotiate.
Babuk, an infamous ransomware gang, insists they have far more than just 1TB of data. The hackers claim to have extracted 4.5TB of highly detailed information, including:
- Email addresses and customer records
- Source code and internal documents
- Invoices, contracts, and project files
- Employee data and call logs
- User messages and credit card information
“We will publish 1TB if they do not want to negotiate with us,” Babuk stated on their website. “And there is still a lot more that we stole, the sample is not much.”
Cybersecurity Experts Find Claims Credible
Cybernews researchers analyzed the 6.44GB data sample that Babuk posted as proof of the breach. The leaked documents reportedly contain thousands of internal Orange files, including:
- Employee names, usernames, and email addresses
- Jira project lists tied to Orange Romania’s domain
- Time zone information of workers
Cybernews warns that Babuk’s claims “might be credible,” increasing concerns that Orange may have suffered a major security failure.
Not the First Cyberattack on Orange
Orange has faced repeated cyberattacks in recent months. In late February, the company admitted to a data breach but claimed it was still investigating whether any sensitive information had been stolen. That attack was linked to HellCat, another notorious ransomware group.
The latest attack puts millions of Orange customers and employees at risk of identity theft and fraud.
Despite the growing crisis, Orange has not issued any official response to Babuk’s latest claims. The company has been contacted for comment, but has yet to confirm whether it will negotiate with the hackers or take other action.
If Babuk follows through on its threat, the leaked data could cause a massive security nightmare for Orange and its customers worldwide.
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