Government of Montenegro Falls Victim to Ransomware Attack as Hackers Demand $10 Million

The Southeastern European country is seeking the help of the US in combating ransomware attacks.

The small nation of Montenegro in Southeastern Europe has been one of the latest victims of a ransomware attack that demanded $10 million. The Government of Montenegro on Wednesday shed more light on the attack on its critical infrastructure, admitting that the ransomware attack had been the cause of damage and disruptions.

Public Administration Minister Maras Dukaj took to local television this week to announce that the bad actors behind the ransomware attack were an organized cybercrime group, Bleeping Computer reported. Dukaj added that for ten days now, the bad actors had been attacking the country's critical infrastructure using a "special virus" and demanding a ransom of $10 million.

It is yet unclear when services will go back online. Dukaj and Montenegro's Defense Minister Rasko Konjevic said they had evidence that the ransomware attack was carried out by Russian services. This discovery led the small Balkan country to leverage its ties to NATO.

Cuba Ransomware Takes Responsibility

The Cuba ransomware group claimed responsibility for the ransomware attack on Montenegro. As per TechCrunch, the group said on its dark web leak site that it was able to obtain "financial documents, correspondence with bank employees, account movements, balance sheets, tax documents, compensation [and] source code" from the Government of Montenegro on August 19.

The Balkan country has been without a prime minister since August 20, after the parliament voted to pass a no-confidence motion on the ruling government. Meanwhile, the Cuba ransomware group has been in existence since 2019.

US to Lend a Hand to Montenegro in Fighting Ransomware Attack

The ransomware attack launched against the Government of Montenegro that sought a $10 million ransom was carried out through a new virus called "Zero Date," as reported by Dukaj in a Facebook video. Now, Montenegro is seeking the help of NATO allies to fight the attack. Montenegro became part of NATO in 2017 after it ended its political ties to Russia.

For now, most of the websites of the Government of Montenegro have been temporarily disabled as a precaution, Bloomberg reported. The US FBI's rapid-response Cyber Action Team is set to offer assistance in dealing with the ransomware attacks following a meeting with Interior Ministry Filip Adzic.

Adzic remarked that the US' cooperation is "proof of excellent cooperation" between the two countries. Dukaj added that Montenegro is "not alone" in its fight against the ransomware attack and lauded its "NATO partners" for standing alongside them.

The US Embassy in Montenegro issued a statement last week warning of a "persistent and ongoing" hack affecting the Balkan country. Meanwhile, the European Union announced it would be supporting Montenegro as well, expressing a desire to see Montenegro "protected from cybersecurity threats."

The ransomware attack on the Government of Montenegro is not the first in recent months. In April, the Russia-linked Conti ransomware group launched an attack on Costa Rica, saying on its dark web leaks blog that the citizens of the country should pressure their government to pay the $10 million ransom that was doubled to $20 million.