An alleged cyber extortion group known as N4ughtySec has resurfaced, claiming ongoing access to TransUnion and Experian’s systems in South Africa. Threatening a data leak after failed ransom demands, the group declared their sustained presence and intentions to expose client data.
Reports from TimesLive confirm the group’s demands for separate ransoms of $30 million from Experian and TransUnion. However, both companies refuted ongoing system infiltration and unauthorized data access following investigations into the group’s assertions.
The credibility of N4ughtySec’s claims is in question due to errors in their communication. Notably, the group misspelled their own name in the email sent to journalists and company executives, indicating potential inconsistencies in their statements.
The group’s email, declaring continued access to the credit bureaus’ systems and impending data leaks, was marked by misspellings and grammatical errors. Additionally, previous claims by N4ughtySec in March 2022 regarding a TransUnion ransomware attack were disputed by the credit bureau.
Furthermore, the email referenced a prior breach unrelated to the group’s activities, involving Experian’s exposure of 24 million South Africans’ data due to fraudulent acquisition by Karabo Phungula, resulting in a 15-year prison sentence for Phungula in March 2023.
