Tesla

A Russian hacker recruited a Russian-speaking Tesla employee for $1 million.

The two individuals happened in 2016 but the hacker reached out to the worker through WhatsApp in July 2020.

He offered $500,000 for the employee to install malware from either a USB drive or by clicking a malicious email link for executing a ransomware attack against the company.

The hacker promised to encrypt the malware so that it was untraceable to the employee who installed it on the computer system.

Tesla employee alerted the company of the planned ransomware attack.

Source: https://www.cpomagazine.com/cyber-security/hacker-offered-russian-speaking-tesla-employee-for-1-million-to-execute-ransomware-attack/

TPRM report: https://scoringcyber.rankiteo.com/company/tesla-motors

"id": "tes202919123",
"linkid": "tesla-motors",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "09/2020",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "5",
"explanation": "Attack threatening the organization’s existence"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Automotive',
                        'location': 'United States',
                        'name': 'Tesla',
                        'type': 'Company'}],
 'attack_vector': ['Malicious email link', 'USB drive'],
 'data_breach': {'data_encryption': 'Encrypted malware'},
 'date_detected': 'July 2020',
 'description': 'A Russian hacker recruited a Russian-speaking Tesla employee '
                'for $1 million to install malware for a ransomware attack.',
 'initial_access_broker': {'entry_point': ['WhatsApp',
                                           'USB drive',
                                           'Malicious email link']},
 'motivation': 'Financial gain',
 'ransomware': {'data_encryption': 'Encrypted malware',
                'ransom_demanded': '$1 million'},
 'threat_actor': 'Russian hacker',
 'title': 'Attempted Ransomware Attack on Tesla',
 'type': 'Ransomware'}