BEL Cyberattack Update: Hackers’ Threat Ignored, Data Leaked Online

Belize Electricity Limited has delayed comments once again surrounding the hacking of their network.  As we have reported, a portion of the company’s network data was compromised and leaked, reportedly by Ragnar Locker Ransomware.  On Friday, BEL issued a release in an attempt to assure consumers and stakeholders that no critical IT software and database management systems were hacked.  We had requested an interview on Friday, and again today, but we were told that the company will be speaking tomorrow.  That aside, however, Love News understands that BEL was forewarned by the attackers that they would be leaking the data collected from the company server, but apparently BEL ignored the warning.  According to a website that monitors cyber attackers, ThreatMon, the Belize Electricity Limited was given a deadline to respond to the hackers, and when they did not, 355 gigabytes of data were released onto the internet.  Ragnar Locker Ransomware is not new to carrying out cyber-attacks.  Online information indicate that this group of hackers are targeting companies in the energy sector and in English speaking countries.  As recent as last year, the hackers breached a Greek pipeline company and in 2021 it breached the US Colonial Pipeline.  The hackers’ organization, Ragnar Locker, became notorious in 2020 when it began targeting large organization in critical industries like energy.  The hackers reportedly use a double ransom strategy where they attempt to convince organizations that they are merely testing the vulnerability of their networks whilst requesting a ransom to not disclose information obtained through hacking.