After ransomware attack

Hungary: Military secrets surfaced on the darknet

The attack is likely to have been carried out using ransomware.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

The online portal "hang.hu" reported an international hacker attack on the server of the Hungarian Army Procurement Agency (VBÜ) on Thursday. While the hackers demanded a ransom of five million dollars (4.70 million euros) from the Hungarian state on their website in order not to publish the data, screenshots of secret military information had already appeared on the darknet.

This involved details about the Hungarian army's defense capabilities or the procurement of military equipment. However, this information also reveals that a total procurement freeze is planned for 2025. The blackmailers had already posted the screenshots online on November 6, the portal reported.

Attack using ransomware
The attack was probably carried out using ransomware, the portal quoted an IT security expert, Ferenc Frész. He was the first to make the information about the hacker attack public on his Facebook page.

INC Ransomware is an international group that uses a ransomware virus to attack the systems of government bodies and large companies in the USA and Europe in particular. The attack is said to have taken place in October. The VBÜ website stated on Thursday morning that it could not be reached due to an "IT malfunction".

The Hungarian Ministry of Defense confirmed to the hvg.hu portal on request that "an international hacker group had attacked VBÜ's IT systems". No further information could be provided due to the ongoing investigation, it said.