US telecom giant CommScope hit by ransomware, employee data leaked on dark web

CommScope, a major US telecommunications and IT infrastructure powerhouse, confirmed it was the victim of a March ransomware attack that compromised sensitive employee data.

Now, the Vice Society ransom gang claims to have published a trove of CommScope employee data, stolen in the attack, on the group’s dark-web leak site.

The Fortune 500 communications and technology infrastructure provider is the parent of a multitude of networking products, telecom services, and subsidiaries, including Arris, Surfboard, Ruckus, and Systimax.

Headquartered in North Carolina, CommScope lists over 30,000 employees, as well as fifty supply-chain locations worldwide.

A CommScope spokesperson told Recorded Future that the company suffered a ransomware attack late last month and was now investigating the incident, as well as the alleged data leak.

According to the report, the worldwide conglomerate became aware of hackers accessing portions of its IT infrastructure the week of March 27.

Vice Society claimed CommScope as a victim on the homepage of their dark-web leak site Saturday, almost two weeks after the attack.

The gang also posted over two dozens links – dated from April 14 to 15 – purportedly of the stolen employee data.

Although the telecom giant has not publicly named Vice Society as the perpetrator, CommScope did say its investigation revealed the group that carried out the attacks is the same one claiming to have possession of the stolen data.

“We are working with our third-party experts to validate those claims and to understand the nature of the information at issue as a top priority. We are undergoing a thorough review of any impacted data with all possible speed,” the company spokesperson said.

The stolen data included employee passports, company invoices, files, and bank documents, according to Recorded Future.

CommScope said there was “no evidence” that any customer information was compromised during the attack and business operations were not interrupted.

The Russian-affiliated Vice Society is a notorious ransomware gang, well known for targeting educational institutions and healthcare facilities across the world.

The group targeted its last victim in March, the prestigious Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon.

The private school’s month-long ransomware attack "significantly impacted almost all IT systems on campus," college officials said.