Colombia's energy giant Ecopetrol says hackers stole data from 3,300 accounts, demanding ransom
Hackers are threatening to publish the data if their demands aren't met.
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- Hackers stole data from about 3,300 Ecopetrol user accounts and demanded ransom, threatening to publish the information.
- Ecopetrol said cybersecurity controls blocked an attempted ransomware deployment, with no material disruption to critical operations reported.
- The company revoked attacker access, blocked further downloads, launched an investigation, and notified Colombian authorities.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
One of Latin America's largest energy producers, Ecopetrol, said on Friday that hackers stole data from approximately 3,300 user accounts and attempted to deploy ransomware. The attack was followed by threats to publish the extracted information.
The company said an unidentified attacker gained unauthorized access to digital resources belonging to Ecopetrol and about 14 of its subsidiaries.
The attacker managed to download data from approximately 3,300 user accounts and attempted to deploy ransomware, but Ecopetrol said the attempt blocked by cybersecurity controls.
According to the Ecopetrol, the attacker has communicated extortion demands, threatening to publicly disclose the stolen information.
Nonetheless, the company has not yet identified any material disruption to its critical operations, production capacity, or essential services as of Friday. The stolen data has also not yet been published.
In response to the incident, Ecopetrol revoked the attackers' access, blocked further data downloads, and launched an internal investigation. It also notified Colombian authorities and increased monitoring of the technology infrastructure.
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Ecopetrol continues to assess the potential exposure of corporate information, which could include confidential, restricted, proprietary, or personal data.
It also said that it cannot guarantee that the incident won’t have a material impact on the company’s business, reputation, or financial condition.
Ecopetrol is Colombia's largest company and one of Latin America's main integrated energy companies. It is responsible for more than 60% of the country's hydrocarbon production. The company also holds leading positions in electricity transmission in Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, road concessions in Chile, and the telecommunications sector.
