Bloomberg says that after a major data breach earlier this year, Cencora, a major source of healthcare solutions, paid $75 million in Bitcoin to a ransomware group. The widely traded drug distributor, which used to be called AmerisourceBergen, was the target of a cyberattack in February.
According to people familiar with the case that were quoted in a September 18 story by Bloomberg, Cencora sent the ransom in three separate Bitcoin transactions. At first, the thieves wanted $150 million.
ZachXBT Reveals Bitcoin Ransom Payments
Even though Bloomberg did not say much about the trades, prominent blockchain researcher ZachXBT did share them on X . ZachXBT says that the “Dark Angels” ransomware group got 296.5 BTC on March 7, 2024 . The last two payments, for 408 BTC and 387 BTC, were made the next day .
Bloomberg said that the ransom was paid in three parts in March 2024, which fits with what ZachXBT found. Data from the blockchain supported this finding. The $75 million ransom is one of the highest payments ever made to hackers. It was more than the last ransom of over $40 million, which happened in 2021.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said earlier this year that over 250 businesses in the US, Europe, and Australia have been hit by ransomware attacks.
Even though people remain concerned about ransomware, a study from Chainalysis in May 2024 showed that in 2023, payments to ransomware groups dropped by almost 50%.
