Cybersafetyconnections December 9th, 2024, vol# 198 

  • From konbriefing there was a ransomware attack on Bologna Football Club 1909 by the RansomHub extortion group. 
  • The information stolen was personal and confidential information about players, sponsors, and the club’s financial history. 
  • The reason for the ransomware attack is obviously to get ransom. 
  • The RansomHub extortion group was named as been responsible for the ransomware attack. 
  • Here is how Bologna Football Club 1909 mitigated loss from the ransomware attack. 

What happened? 

Bologna FC 1909 Esports 

From Copilot, Bologna Football Club 1909 recently fell victim to a ransomware attack by the RansomHub extortion group. 

Who was impacted? 

Bologna CAGLIARI 3-2 

The attack led to the theft and subsequent online publication of sensitive data, including personal and confidential information about players, sponsors, and the club’s financial history. 

Why did the ransomware attack happen? 

How to avoid falling victim of ransomware 

Obviously to get a ransom yet the underlying cybersecurity posture has not been reported for us to know if a weakness in the club’s cybersecurity led to the success of the ransomware attack. 

Which ransomware group is responsible for the attack? 

Bloquea a los Usuario infec 

From this story, the attack was claimed by the RansomHub ransomware gang, currently the most prolific high-profile threat group in the space, on November 19, 2024. 

How did Ransom Hub extortion group mitigate loss from the ransomware attack? 

OWASP Threat and Safeguard Matrix 

The club issued a stern warning against accessing or disseminating the stolen data, emphasizing that doing so constitutes a serious criminal offense 

  • Despite being given an extension to negotiate payment, Bologna FC did not comply with the ransom demands, resulting in the full dataset being published on the dark web. 
  • It’s a tough situation for the club and its stakeholders, exposing them to significant risks of identity theft, fraud, and other forms of exploitation. 

From Copilot desk, here is how Bologna Football Club 1909 would have mitigated loss from the cyberattack. 

Bologna Football Club 1909 could have taken several steps to mitigate the loss from the ransomware attack: 

  • Immediate Response: Upon discovering the attack, the club could have quickly isolated affected systems to prevent the spread of the ransomware and limit further damage. 
  • Backup and Recovery: Regularly backing up critical data and ensuring that backups are stored securely and offline could have allowed the club to restore its systems without paying the ransom. 
  • Incident Response Plan: Having a well-defined incident response plan in place would have enabled the club to respond more effectively to the attack, minimizing downtime and data loss. 
  • Employee Training: Educating staff about cybersecurity best practices, such as recognizing phishing emails and using strong passwords, could have reduced the likelihood of the attack succeeding. 
  • Enhanced Security Measures: Implementing advanced security measures, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), endpoint detection and response (EDR) solutions, and regular security audits, could have helped prevent the attack. 
  • Legal and PR Strategy: Engaging legal and public relations experts to manage the fallout from the attack, including communicating transparently with stakeholders and the public, could have helped mitigate reputational damage. 

Conclusion 

By taking these proactive steps, Bologna FC could have better protected its data and minimized the impact of the ransomware attack. 

Got comments, feedback and suggestions? All are welcome!