Kia Motors America Victim of Ransomware Attack Demanding $20M in Bitcoin, Report Claims

Kia Motors America has reportedly fallen victim to a ransomware attack demanding more than $20 million worth of bitcoin.

The ransomware group DoppelPaymer is demanding 404.5833 BTC (currently valued at $20,844,336) to pay for a decryption tool or stolen data will be shared to the public, BleepingComputer reported Wednesday.
This amount demanded would rise to 600 bitcoins (over $30 million) if not paid within 10 days.
Kia Motors America is suffering a severe IT outage taking its website, phone services and web systems offline.
BleepingComputer said it had "obtained a ransom note that we were told was created during an alleged Kia Motors America cyberattack by the DoppelPaymer gang."
The auto firm later told BleepingComputer that it has no evidence it suffered a ransomware attack.
It isn't clear what data the group might have stolen, per the report.

DISCLOSURE

Please note that our privacy policy, terms of use, cookies, and do not sell my personal information has been updated.

The leader in news and information on cryptocurrency, digital assets and the future of money, CoinDesk is a media outlet that strives for the highest journalistic standards and abides by a strict set of editorial policies. CoinDesk is an independent operating subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which invests in cryptocurrencies and blockchain startups. As part of their compensation, certain CoinDesk employees, including editorial employees, may receive exposure to DCG equity in the form of stock appreciation rights, which vest over a multi-year period. CoinDesk journalists are not allowed to purchase stock outright in DCG.

Jamie Crawley

Learn more about Consensus 2024, CoinDesk’s longest-running and most influential event that brings together all sides of crypto, blockchain and Web3. Head to consensus.coindesk.com to register and buy your pass now.