Leading global aerospace, commercial jetliner manufacturer, and US military and defense contractor, The Boeing Company, is the latest target claimed by the LockBit ransomware gang. The Russian-linked group unveiled this breach on Friday, around 2 pm, via its dark leak site.
Boeing responded to the claim by stating that they are currently evaluating the situation. A Boeing spokesperson conveyed this in a brief statement issued on Friday shortly after 4:40 p.m. Eastern Time.
LockBit, in its ransom demand, stated that it possesses a substantial amount of sensitive data, which will be made public if Boeing fails to establish contact with the group before the November 2nd deadline, set for 1:23 pm UTC, approximately five days from Friday. The group clarified that they will not release data or samples at this moment to safeguard the company, but they intend to proceed as the deadline approaches, ultimately releasing all available data.
LockBit, however, did not disclose the specific volume of data allegedly exfiltrated from Boeing. Still, the group estimated the combined value of the company and its subsidiaries at $60 billion. According to LockBit, Boeing is engaged in the development, manufacturing, sale, servicing, and support of commercial jetliners, military aircraft, satellites, missile defense, human space flight, and launch systems and services on a global scale.
LockBit, a ransomware group with suspected Russian links, emerged on the ransomware scene in late 2019, according to industry experts. Over time, these threat actors have carried out more than 1,400 attacks against victims in the United States and across the globe, encompassing regions such as Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Their ransomware variant, LockBit 3.0, also known as LockBit Black, has evolved into its third iteration and is considered the most elusive version when compared to previous iterations, as reported by the US Department of Justice. The variant also shares similarities with two other Russian-linked ransomware strains, BlackMatter and BlackCat (ALPHV/BlackCat), as indicated by the DOJ.
