A Fortune 50 company has paid a record-breaking $75 million ransom to the Dark Angels ransomware gang, as reported by Zscaler ThreatLabz.
This unprecedented payment marks the highest known ransom, surpassing previous records.
Details of the Incident
In early 2024, Zscaler ThreatLabz uncovered that a victim had paid Dark Angels $75 million, significantly higher than any publicly known ransom amount. The 2024 Zscaler Ransomware Report states, “In early 2024, ThreatLabz uncovered a victim who paid Dark Angels $75 million, higher than any publicly known amount—an achievement that’s bound to attract the interest of other attackers looking to replicate such success by adopting their key tactics.”
Crypto intelligence company Chainalysis confirmed the payment, tweeting about it on X.
This payment surpasses the previous record of $40 million paid by insurance giant CNA following an Evil Corp ransomware attack.
We can confirm that early this year we saw the largest ransomware payment ever at $75M. The "big game hunting" trend we discussed in our 2024 crime report – fewer attacks on larger targets with deeper pockets – is becoming more pronounced. https://t.co/Z0yvg3Zvp2 pic.twitter.com/4FsivojtA5
— Chainalysis (@chainalysis) July 30, 2024
This record-breaking ransom payment is likely to encourage other cybercriminals to adopt similar tactics, increasing the threat landscape. Companies are urged to strengthen their cybersecurity measures to protect against such sophisticated ransomware attacks.
