University of California San Francisco (UCSF)

The University of California San Francisco suffered a significant ransomware attack at the hands of the NetWalker group, which resulted in the loss of access to critical data. In order to recover the encrypted files, UCSF was compelled to pay a substantial ransom of $1.14 million. This incident stressed the vulnerability of major institutions to sophisticated cyber threats, particularly during sensitive times such as the COVID-19 pandemic when reliance on digital infrastructure is at its peak. The attack not only financially impacted the university but also highlighted the potential risks to privacy and the continuation of essential services.

Source: https://securityaffairs.com/172182/cyber-crime/romanian-national-was-sentenced-to-20-years-netwalker-attacks.html

TPRM report: https://scoringcyber.rankiteo.com/company/ucsf

"id": "ucs000122224",
"linkid": "ucsf",
"type": "Ransomware",
"date": "12/2024",
"severity": "100",
"impact": "4",
"explanation": "Attack with significant impact with customers data leaks"

{'affected_entities': [{'industry': 'Education',
                        'location': 'San Francisco, CA',
                        'name': 'University of California San Francisco',
                        'type': 'Educational Institution'}],
 'description': 'The University of California San Francisco suffered a '
                'significant ransomware attack at the hands of the NetWalker '
                'group, which resulted in the loss of access to critical data. '
                'In order to recover the encrypted files, UCSF was compelled '
                'to pay a substantial ransom of $1.14 million. This incident '
                'stressed the vulnerability of major institutions to '
                'sophisticated cyber threats, particularly during sensitive '
                'times such as the COVID-19 pandemic when reliance on digital '
                'infrastructure is at its peak. The attack not only '
                'financially impacted the university but also highlighted the '
                'potential risks to privacy and the continuation of essential '
                'services.',
 'impact': {'financial_loss': '$1.14 million',
            'operational_impact': 'Loss of access to critical data',
            'systems_affected': 'Critical data systems'},
 'motivation': 'Financial Gain',
 'ransomware': {'data_encryption': 'Yes',
                'ransom_demanded': '$1.14 million',
                'ransom_paid': '$1.14 million',
                'ransomware_strain': 'NetWalker'},
 'threat_actor': 'NetWalker group',
 'title': 'UCSF Ransomware Attack',
 'type': 'Ransomware'}