Ransomware Attack on Davis Pickren Seydel & Sneed LLP by Meow Group
Incident Date:
October 8, 2024
Overview
Title
Ransomware Attack on Davis Pickren Seydel & Sneed LLP by Meow Group
Victim
Davis Pickren Seydel and Sneed LLP
Attacker
Meow
Location
First Reported
October 8, 2024
Ransomware Attack on Davis Pickren Seydel & Sneed LLP by Meow Group
Davis Pickren Seydel & Sneed LLP (DPSS), a distinguished law firm based in Atlanta, Georgia, has recently been targeted by the notorious Meow Ransomware group. This attack has compromised over 45 GB of sensitive data, posing a significant threat to the firm's reputation and client confidentiality.
About Davis Pickren Seydel & Sneed LLP
Established in 1976, DPSS is renowned for its comprehensive legal services, specializing in corporate law, real estate transactions, litigation, and sustainability. The firm combines the resources of a large practice with the personalized attention of a smaller firm, allowing it to effectively address diverse legal needs. DPSS's commitment to sustainability and ethical advocacy sets it apart in the legal industry. Despite its prominence, the firm’s size and structure make it a potential target for cybercriminals seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in smaller, less fortified networks.
Details of the Ransomware Attack
The Meow Ransomware group has demanded a ransom of $40,000 for exclusive access to the stolen data or $20,000 if the data is sold to multiple parties. The compromised information includes employee data, client information, scanned payment documents, personal data, internal financial documents, and various legal documents. This breach exposes critical insights into the firm's operations, which could be of significant interest to legal professionals and corporate entities.
Profile of Meow Ransomware Group
Emerging in late 2022, the Meow Ransomware group is associated with the Conti v2 ransomware variant. Known for targeting industries with sensitive data, such as healthcare and legal services, the group employs various infection methods, including phishing emails and exploiting RDP vulnerabilities. Meow Ransomware distinguishes itself by using a combination of the ChaCha20 and RSA-4096 algorithms for encryption and maintains a data leak site to pressure victims into paying ransoms.
Potential Vulnerabilities and Penetration Methods
DPSS's vulnerabilities likely stem from the typical challenges faced by law firms, such as handling large volumes of sensitive data and potentially inadequate cybersecurity measures. The Meow group could have penetrated the firm's systems through phishing attacks or exploiting unpatched software vulnerabilities, common tactics used to gain unauthorized access to networks.
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.