Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Saturday, Jul 05, 2025

New Ransomware Group Exposes Vulnerability of DC Police’s Tech Infrastructure

New Ransomware Group Exposes Vulnerability of DC Police’s Tech Infrastructure

The expanding digital age has opened up a new lane of expenses, as some institutions are learning the hard way that having a dedicated cyber security staff and knowledge is a necessity. Hospitals and city and county governments have become easy targets for some global hackers.

A new ransomware developed by the Babuk hacker group has accessed the computer system of Washington, DC’s Metropolitan Police Department, a development which has since seen the group threaten to leak confidential files if they are not contacted within three days.

The DC police department confirmed in a Tuesday YouTube post that unauthorized access occurred, and that the FBI were now looking into the matter.


The files encrypted by the hack group included arrest history, housing and financial records, polygraph results and details about training and work history for some officers. Screenshots posted online included police reports, internal memos, mugshots and gang conflict reports.


Babuk claimed to have accessed over 250 GB of data from the police department in a signature ransom note that slammed the department on its slow computer software updates. The forum that the hacker group works under communicates in both English and Russian. In a message to the police department, the group indicated they were able to find vulnerabilities in the computer system that were not fixed by patch updates in time.

The DC police department is only one of the major targets to be hit by the Babuk cyberattack this year. Other victims include the UK-based Serco company that deals with COVID-19 testings and the NBA Houston Rockets.

A hack from Babuk usually includes a ransom note like the one pictured above, which is normally located in a file, labeled “How To Restore Your Files.txt,” and provides information on how the user can go about recovering their data.


Patches are updates, usually related to security that gets added onto a computer system to help fix-up any vulnerability. As the technological world is ever changing, there is always a newer, faster and more efficient way to handle data. Ransomware groups like Babuk often find ways to exploit these vulnerabilities by using different algorithms to communicate with computer systems through coding.

The algorithms used by hacking groups are known as ransomware since it requires a key to access the hijacked data, and the key is usually only known by the creators of the virus, which is how hackers are able to hold the data for ransom.

According to some critics, Babuk is only an “amateur” hacking group that uses the Eclliptic-Curve Diffie-Hellman (ECDH) algorithm to ensure that their own operating systems are secure and not easy to access or change.

ECDH algorithms require subtle changes to a file that make it difficult to access items unless the file holder can decode the information needed to decrypt the data and translate it in a way that the computer can successfully read.

Ultimately, this means the Metropolitan Police Department may or may not still have the ability to combat the ransomware if they are able to decode the common algorithm shared with the hacking group, which can possibly be found through suspected phishware.

Babuk operates on a ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) model, meaning they are but a front for a much larger hacking affiliation since Babuk is known to use implementations of SHA256 hashing algorithm, which has links back to the US National Security Agency (NSA) and the ChaCha8 encryption that also has ties to US-based computer technology development.

Cyber space


According to AP, the Babuk group has only been discovered this year, but has so far hit 26 government agencies in the US, releasing data from 16 of them, thereby exposing the poor cyber security of most agencies. The group is known to target the agricultural, electronic, plastic surgery and dental health care and transportation sectors.

The groups most vulnerable to cybersecurity threats include schools, hospitals and state and municipal systems. In 2019, 113 state and municipal groups were hit by ransomware attacks, the most famous of which being the attack on voting infrastructure during the 2020 elections in Georgia. The largest cybersecurity attack so far has been the 2017 WannaCry cyberattack launched by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The Babuk group exposes the vulnerability of its targets, but usually asks for bitcoin payments below $100,000. The group has boasted that it does not attack hospitals or organizations that earn below $4 million, and that it mostly stays away from nonprofit organizations, except those associated with the Black Lives Matter movement and the LGBTQ communities.

Babuk has indicated that it will launch a dedicated leak site in the near future. The administration of US President Joe Biden has claimed that they are boosting efforts to shield the US cyberspace from hackers by analyzing the system’s vulnerabilities and pinpointing threats.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
×