A hacking group linked to the Anonymous collective has reportedly hit popular Russian payment processor Qiwi. Network Battalion 65 announced on social media that it had successfully accessed the platform’s databases – a claim the company has denied.
Anonymous affiliate hacks Russian payment system Qiwi
Hackers from Network Battalion 65 (NB65), a group linked to the decentralized hacktivist collective Anonymous, revealed in a recent Tweeter they had hacked into Qiwi, which is a major provider of payment and financial services in the Russian Federation and other countries in the post-Soviet space.
A message posted by the Twitter account @xxNB65 indicates that the group, which includes the Qiwi payment system, Qiwi Bank, the Contact money transfer system and other platforms, also offers the most popular payment application. used in Russia – that’s the main reason why it was targeted.
The alleged attackers claim to have encrypted Qiwi’s networks with a ransomware kit. NB65 also claims to have the credit card data of about 12.5 million of the company’s customers, as well as about 30 million payment records.
“We will publish 1 million records every day after your 3-day contract period expires. You should probably contact us soon if you want your business to survive,” the hackers warned, adding that if there is anyone to blame for the situation, it is Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Moscow launched a military assault on neighboring Ukraine in late February, and Anonymous has pledged to disrupt Russian internet space in response to the invasion. The group has since targeted Kremlin, State Duma and Defense Ministry websites, attacked Russian TV channels and published millions of emails. In March, the collective said it released 28 GB of Bank of Russia documents.
The authors of the NB65 tweet note that Qiwi said in a recent press release that sanctions targeting the Russian financial system have not affected its business. Following news of the anonymous attack, Qiwi was quoted by Tass as saying its payment services were working normally and insisting its customers’ personal information was safe.
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