The popular Russian payment processor Qiwi was allegedly hacked by a hacking group that is linked to Anonymous. Network Battalion 65 announced on social media it had managed to gain access to the platform’s databases — a claim the company has denied.
Anonymous Affiliate Hacks Russian Payment System Qiwi
Network Battalion 65 hackers (NB65), a group connected to Anonymous the decentralized hacktivist collective, were revealed in a recently tweetThey had also hacked Qiwi (a large provider of financial services and payments in the Russian Federation, and other post-Soviet nations).
A message posted by the @xxNB65 Twitter account notes that the group, which includes the Qiwi payment system, Qiwi Bank, the Contact money transfer system, and other platforms, also offers the most widely used payment app in Russia — that being the main reason why it was targeted.
The alleged perpetrators of the attack say they have encrypted Qiwi’s networks with a ransomware kit. NB65 also claims it has the credit card data of around 12.5 million of the company’s clients, as well as about 30 million payment records.
“We will release 1 million records each day after your 3 day contract period has expired. You should probably reach out to us soon if you want your business to survive,” the hackers have warned, adding that if there’s someone to blame for the situation, that’s Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Moscow launched a military assault on neighboring Ukraine in late February and Anonymous vowed to disrupt Russia’s internet space in response to the invasion. This group attacked Russian TV stations, released thousands of emails, and has now targeted websites belonging to the Kremlin and the State Duma. According to the group, it published 28GB of Bank of Russia documents.
The authors of the NB65 tweet remark that Qiwi said in a recent press release the sanctions aimed at Russia’s financial system had not affected its business. Following the news of the Anonymous attack, Qiwi was quoted by Tass as stating that its payment services are operating normally and insisting its customers’ personal information was safe.
Are you expecting to see more attempts at hacking Russian payment platform platforms? Comment below.
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