2024

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Cencora, a healthcare solutions provider, paid a total of $75 million to a ransomware group earlier this year, according to Bloomberg.
The publicly traded drug distributor, formerly known as AmerisourceBergen, reportedly sent Bitcoin (<a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://crypto.news/price/bitcoin/">BTC</a>) worth $75 million to cyberattackers following a data breach in February.
In the Sept. 18 <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-09-18/gang-got-75-million-for-cencora-hack-in-largest-known-ransom" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">report</a>, which cited sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg stated that Cencora sent the hackers BTC in three transactions. The attackers had initially demanded $150 million from the pharmaceutical solutions provider.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="blockchain-sleuth-unearths-more-details">Blockchain sleuth unearths more details</h2>
While the Bloomberg article did not share the details of the three transactions, blockchain sleuth ZachXBT did. The highly respected crypto scam and blockchain security investigator identified the hackers as the Dark Angels ransomware group.
In a <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://x.com/zachxbt/status/1836403999030788570" target="_blank">post on X</a> after the news emerged, ZachXBT revealed that Cencora sent 296.5 BTC on March 7, 2024, with the transaction timestamped at 10:04 pm UTC. The next two transfers occurred on March 8, 2024—the first of 408 BTC at 7:45 pm UTC and the next totaling 387 BTC at 9:39 pm UTC.
Explaining his findings, ZachXBT noted that he used clues from the Bloomberg article. For instance, the report claimed that Cencora paid the extortionists in three installments in March 2024. On-chain data also supported his conclusions.
<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">
 “All three addresses were funded from the same source and the funds flowed to addresses with high illicit fund exposure.”
 ZachXBT
</blockquote>
You might also like: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://crypto.news/hacked-bitcoin-whale-may-have-lost-238m-zachxbt/"> Hacked Bitcoin whale may have lost $238m: ZachXBT </a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="bitcoin-ransomware-attacks">Bitcoin ransomware attacks</h2>
According to the Bloomberg article, the $75 million ransom is the highest of such payments in history. This surpasses previous incidents where payments exceeded $40 million—the last of which occurred in 2021.
Earlier this year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation reported that ransomware attacks had <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://crypto.news/bitcoin-ransomware-defrauds-over-250-companies-for-42m/">defrauded over 250 companies</a> across the U.S., Europe and Australia.
While ransomware attacks using crypto schemes continue to be a concern, a <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://crypto.news/chainalysis-ransomware-payments-down-50-in-2023/">Chainalysis report</a> in May 2024 showed that payments to such attackers declined by nearly 50% in 2023.
Read more: <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://crypto.news/russian-ransomware-generates-over-500m-in-crypto-proceeds-trm-labs-says/"> Russian ransomware generates over $500m in crypto proceeds, TRM Labs says </a>

Cencora paid $75m in Bitcoin ransomware: Bloomberg

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