Spider-Man game makers' data leaked, hackers demand $2m ransom
Technology
The leak also includes information related to business of the developers
(Web Desk) - Insomniac Games, the Burbank-based studio behind 2023’s Spider-Man 2, has been hit by a severe data leak that includes the personal information of employees and performers, as well as assets related to the studio’s future projects.
The hack was perpetrated by notorious ransomware group Rhysida, which first signaled it had hacked the award-winning game studio on Dec. 12, publishing a handful of employee documentation.
The group demanded Insomniac or any other interested parties place bids starting at $2 million ransom within a week in order to prevent further leaks.
The leak contains more than 1.67 terabytes of confidential information, with more than 1.3 million files within.
Employee information such as I-9 forms and identification documents was made public as part of the leak, as well as much of the studio’s work on its next PlayStation exclusive, Wolverine.
This includes animation tests, level designs, casting plans, Wolverine-related unannounced projects and even an entire playable level.
The leak also includes information related to the business of Insomniac, including plans for future projects and development and marketing budgets agreed upon by Marvel.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency said Rhysida is “known to impact ‘targets of opportunity,’ including victims in the education, healthcare, manufacturing, information technology, and government sectors.”
Just this past August, the group was responsible for stealing more than 500,000 Social Security numbers, identification documents and personal financial paperwork from Prospect Medical Holdings, a network that runs 16 hospitals across the U.S., Axios reported.
As to why the group chose a game developer next, a Rhysida representative told Cyber Daily, “We knew that developers making games like this would be an easy target.”
“Game creators work tirelessly to create works of art & entertainment for everyone,” a post from independent game studio Wushu Studios said.
“To see any team rewarded for this with malicious attacks & blackmail is cruel.”
