RansomHub Ransomware Attack Disrupts Greater Mt Calvary Holy Church Operations

Incident Date:

August 17, 2024

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Overview

Title

RansomHub Ransomware Attack Disrupts Greater Mt Calvary Holy Church Operations

Victim

Greater Mt Calvary Holy Church

Attacker

Ransomhub

Location

Washington, USA

District of Columbia, USA

First Reported

August 17, 2024

RansomHub Claims Ransomware Attack on Greater Mt Calvary Holy Church

Greater Mt Calvary Holy Church (GMCHC), a prominent Christian congregation in Washington, D.C., has been targeted by the ransomware group RansomHub. The attack was confirmed via RansomHub's dark web leak site, where the group claimed responsibility for the incident.

About Greater Mt Calvary Holy Church

GMCHC is a non-profit religious organization dedicated to spiritual growth and community engagement. The church is known for its regular worship services, educational programs, and community outreach initiatives. With a strong online presence, including live-streamed services, GMCHC connects with a broad audience, fostering a supportive environment for worship and learning.

Attack Overview

The ransomware attack on GMCHC has disrupted its operations, potentially compromising sensitive data. RansomHub, known for its Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) model, has claimed the attack, indicating that affiliates may have executed the breach. The group typically demands ransom payments in exchange for decrypting the affected data.

RansomHub: A New Threat in the Cyber Landscape

RansomHub has quickly distinguished itself in the cyber threat landscape by making claims and backing them up with data leaks. Believed to have roots in Russia, the group operates a traditional RaaS setup, with affiliates receiving the majority of the ransom payments. Their ransomware strains are written in Golang, a trend among recent ransomware groups.

Potential Vulnerabilities

GMCHC's extensive online activities, including live streaming and community engagement, may have exposed vulnerabilities that RansomHub exploited. The church's reliance on digital platforms for outreach and education could have provided multiple entry points for the ransomware attack. Ensuring effective cybersecurity measures is crucial for organizations with significant online operations.

Penetration Methods

While specific details of how RansomHub penetrated GMCHC's systems are not disclosed, common methods include phishing attacks, exploiting software vulnerabilities, and leveraging weak security protocols. The use of Golang in their ransomware strains suggests a sophisticated approach, potentially bypassing traditional security defenses.

Sources

Recent Ransomware Attacks

The Recent Ransomware Attacks (RRA) site acts as a watchtower, providing you with near real-time ransomware tracking of attacks, groups and their victims. Given threat actors’ overarching, lucrative success so far, ransomware attacks have become the most ubiquitous, and financially and informationally impactful cyber threat to businesses and organizations today.

The site’s data is generated based on hosting choices of real-world threat actors, and a handful of other trackers. While sanitization efforts have been taken, we cannot guarantee 100% accuracy of the data. Attack updates will be made as source data is reported by reputable sources. By viewing, accessing, or using RRA you acknowledge you are doing so at your own risk.