LockBit, the infamous ransomware group, has admitted to being behind a cyber assault on India's state-owned aerospace research laboratory. Additionally, during the month of July, LockBit's dark web leaked data of Granules, an Indian pharmaceutical company, as one of its latest targets in a cyber attack. 

 

On Wednesday, LockBit put the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) on its dark web leak site, where ransomware groups usually try to get money from their victims. They threatened to share the organization's stolen information unless they paid an unknown amount, according to what TechCrunch found. 

After asserting responsibility for the cyberattack on the National Aerospace Laboratories and posting the claim on the dark web, the hacker collective has presented a daunting ultimatum. They set a deadline of December 18, 2023, at 18:58:48 UTC, emphasizing that if their demands are not met, they will expose the compromised data.  

In an unexpected departure from their usual approach, LockBit has chosen not to reveal any mitigation plans this time. Typically, they would outline a ransom, often starting at $10,000, to secure a 24-hour extension to the deadline. As of the time this information is being shared, the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) website is currently inaccessible globally. 

The cause of this website disruption remains uncertain, and it is not clear whether it is linked to the ransomware attack or not. Furthermore, the LockBit released eight documents, claiming they were stolen. These documents include confidential letters, an employee's passport, and various internal records. 

Established in 1959, the National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL) is India's premier aerospace research organization, owned by the government's Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. NAL collaborates closely with entities like ISRO and DRDO, focusing on advanced research in aerospace and related fields, particularly in the development of civilian aircraft. 

As per a collaborative advisory released by the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and its counterparts in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom, disclosed information highlights coordinated efforts in the field of cybersecurity. The report also shows that Lockbit has become the most famous used ransomware variant globally in 2022 and 2023.