Acer Hit by Ransomware - Hackers Want $50M
Acer fell victim to the REvil ransomware group responsible for the attack of several other companies over the past months, reported Bleeping Computer. The attackers are demanding $50 million from the company.
The ransomware gang was able to enter the company’s system and stole important files from the company. To prove the legitimacy of its demands, the group leaked some of the information on its “Happy Blog.”
Some of the sensitive info released by the gang includes bank balances and communications, and financial spreadsheets. In a statement, the tech giant said that big companies such as itself are often being attacked by malicious actors. To protect from such actions, “Acer routinely monitors its IT systems, and most cyberattacks are well defensed.”
The firm also revealed that it has filed reports regarding “abnormal situations observed to the relevant law enforcement and data protection authorities in multiples countries.”
Regarding its actions to address the current situation, Acer said, “We have been continuously enhancing our cybersecurity infrastructure to protect business continuity and our information integrity.”
The company added that it is currently investigating the matter, which prevents it from disclosing more details. The ransom demand is considered the highest by the gang, which ordered the payment in Monero. The approximate amount of $50 million is equal to around XMR 214,151 in the said cryptocurrency. The former highest ransom is $30 million demanded by REvil from Dairy Farm.
The Microsoft Connection
Bleeping Computer also revealed that the group attacked a Microsoft Exchange server associated with Acer. According to cybersecurity expert Vitali Kremez, “Advanced Intel’s Andariel cyberintelligence system detected that one particular REvil affiliate pursued Microsoft Exchange weaponization.”
Bleeping Computer noted that the DearCry ransomware has also exploited the ProxyLogin bug in Microsoft Exchange. However, this group’s attack is smaller in scale compared to REvil. The cybersecurity-focused outlet also remarked, “Of REvil did exploit the recent Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities to steal data or encrypt devices, it would be the first time one of the big game-hunting ransomware operations used this attack vector.”
SC Magazine and Bleeping Computer attempted to contact the company but it refused to answer. It also did not provide verifications that the attack was possible through a vulnerability in the Microsoft Exchange servers. Meanwhile, the company recommended that other organizations assess their ransomware risk to minimize any avenues for malicious actors to attack.
Senior Member
Posts: 211
Joined: 2021-01-21
1st value judgment
2nd value judgment
3rd
4th and so on and so on
Lets assume everything you said is 100% absolutely correct. Cryptos made ransoms possible. So what?
There was no online hacking before the Internet. No criminal recordings and surveillance before camera. No anon blackmails before the email. No arson before fire. And so on and so on. C
But you don't want any of those inventions banned.
You want ppl exchanging tokens without a trusted 3rd party to be banned.
Why? Because unlike Internet, fire, email etc, you don't see any particular value in crypto. As you said: "buying VPN access anonymously but I guess it ends there".
So all this crypto-banning hoopla boils down to nothing but personal value judgment. But even if it was an objectively right judgment (see how much leevay I give you

If you're a mega-corporation, close your fukin doors instead of banning shoes that someone used to walk into your office. Jesus Christ.. banning ppl sending tokens to each other so you can have shty security CRY ME A RIVER ACER
Criminals use whatever it's available at particular technological time-point. They're not fuking Mor(m)ons obliged to use clubs and buggies.
You answered my post pretty correctly, people exchanging tokens using this technology, is why it's more harmful than useful. If something is harmful and not useful enough, it should not be held active. I don't hold any of my value judgement(not sure what this term means). I personally don't mind cryptos all that much, my opinion is irrelevant, problem is, if you keep technology like that around just for the sake of people exchanging tokens, while someone else can do a huge damage with it. You are not willing to look at more rational and objective perspective. There are not enough good uses of cryptos and too many problems with them. Probably your reasoning is you being uncomfortable with someone else advising to take away something from you, most likely a freedom of using something that is unregulated.
Senior Member
Posts: 8185
Joined: 2010-11-16
@Raserian
Thank you for being dispassionate and as objective as you can.
If I sound passionate about it, it's because of my emotional involvement. But not with the technology itself, it's because I am tired of half-arsed opinions and personal value statements that get presented as axioms and facts.
That and I do have some skin in the game

Senior Member
Posts: 10066
Joined: 2006-02-14
Look.,.. you accepted the challenge of proving that crypto is to be blamed for Acer being blackmailed. Instead of proving it, you have offered nothing but your personal opinions and value judgments.
You're going on a technicality asking for something that no one can 100% prove and plugging your ears and refusing to listen to what's been out there for years now. Crypto causing an insane spike in ransom crimes is not an opinion and if you've seen any of the news in the last half decade you'd know that, in fact I think you do know that.
Then there is hypocrisy of using 3080 OC and complaining about other peoples use of electricity.
Why do you keep pretending to be ignorant? I'm trying really hard to not insult you here since I know you're pulling out all the mental gymnastics to try to justify your interest in crypto, but that's one of the most retarded things I've ever heard. Comparing a dude using single video card to the complaints of criminal rings using tens of thousands of cards, each, for a form of currency to mitigate tracking, is beyond stupid. At no point did I take a stab at individual casual users, mining a little on the side.
I showed you raw data proving that richest 10-percenters, you among them, are blowing 50% of CO2 budget. But you don't get these numbers it seems. You think that I am comparing you to ppl living in the jungle - I am not. I am comparing you with 90% of Earth's population.
Even if that's correct, which I doubt, so what? It's not the least bit comparable: Again, you're calling me a hypocrite based on using a computer, for me calling out the insanity that is crypto. My power usage isn't comparable to the tiniest fraction of a fraction of any of these mining operations, or even regular Joes who merely transfer Bitcoin funds. You also conveniently ignore that I pay out of my asshole for the CO2 footprint I have, being that I live in one of the most taxed into oblivion, particularly for electricity, areas in Canada, who are now going to crank that up with a tax on top of that.
Go ahead, look up how much power merely transferring Bitcoin costs.
Do you use clothes dryer? Cloth dryers in North America alone use a similar amount of energy to that of the entire Bitcoin.
No they don't. And even if they did, at least it's not for pulling currency out of thin air to fuel a crime ring, or for some delusion of grandeur if it's a single person and not an operation.
I am not a criminal. I don't know a single bitcoin user who is a criminal.
Yeah, no shit? Because you're just some guy who thinks you have a get rich quick scheme you can abuse, not one of the actual users of crypto, the criminals, which are the problem, obviously. I feel like what I just wrote was just as worthless as your statement. "Yeah, no shit?" was enough.
You take great offense and you go at anyone who points out the massive criminal aspect of this garbage because deep down you know it's a crock of shit that will eventually be banned from use in NA, the EU, etc.
The only thing that makes people like you a problem is that you buy into the scam and defend it tooth and nail, all you are is a pawn for the criminals.
Stop trying to compare individuals in first world countries to the disaster that is these mining operations.
Member
Posts: 44
Joined: 2021-03-16
bottom of the barrel, using similar amount of power like entire Bitcoin. In NA alone. For no other teason than to avoid mild inconvenience of hanging up clothes.
If anything, thats low hanging fruit. Calling it scraping the bartel shows how much you really care. Hit me when you have something other to discuss than value judgments
Value judgement? I'll bite. What does bitcoin produce that is of tangible value? What is your use of electricity producing except for more or less a digital key which is the representation of the assigned 'value' of whatever crypto algo you're using, right? At least with a clothes dryer, the tangible output is of course, dry clothes with a consistent 'hash rate' .
Senior Member
Posts: 8185
Joined: 2010-11-16
We all agree that, yes few dudes can appreciate cryptos for buying VPN access anonymously but I guess it ends there.
1st value judgment
There isn't really anything else that you can't do with your regular money.
2nd value judgment
Cryptos are criticized for considerably increasing mass cybercrime and rightfully so .
3rd
They offer little to end-user and much more to hacker groups (4th and so on and so on).
4th and so on and so on
Hacking bank accounts in the past was nowhere near the scale of ransomware attacks. Ransomware-based hacking pre-cryto was not all that common and mostly targeted specific individuals. Cryptos allowed it to become what it is today. And it's not just stealing money or data, later frauds done with stolen files can have devastating consequences. Other issues are safety, since hacking hospitals and factories can easily result in injuries and loss of lives. You will never make networks impenetrable but you can make them safer by removing the economic gain behind hacking them. I don't see banning cryptos being real anytime soon, but if it is gonna happen it will be for the better.
Lets assume everything you said is 100% absolutely correct. Cryptos made ransoms possible. So what?
There was no online hacking before the Internet. No criminal recordings and surveillance before camera. No anon blackmails before the email. No arson before fire. And so on and so on. C
But you don't want any of those inventions banned.
You want ppl exchanging tokens without a trusted 3rd party to be banned.
Why? Because unlike Internet, fire, email etc, you don't see any particular value in crypto. As you said: "buying VPN access anonymously but I guess it ends there".
So all this crypto-banning hoopla boils down to nothing but personal value judgment. But even if it was an objectively right judgment (see how much leevay I give you
If you're a mega-corporation, close your fukin doors instead of banning shoes that someone used to walk into your office. Jesus Christ.. banning ppl sending tokens to each other so you can have shty security CRY ME A RIVER ACER
Criminals use whatever it's available at particular technological time-point. They're not fuking Mor(m)ons obliged to use clubs and buggies.