Tesla Employee Prevents Massive Ransomware Attack
Ransomware attack on Tesla
A Tesla employee working in a Gigafactory in Nevada was offered a $1 million bribe to help a hacker install malware into the Tesla computer systems. The hacker who has since been arrested is a Russian citizen by the name of Egor Igorevich Kruichkov. This attack was well planned out by the Russian hacker, as the Tesla worker who he contacted was also Russian and spoke it too.
The Tesla worker met with Kruichkov in early august after being contacted but didn’t know the reason for the rendezvous. After meeting, Kruichkov asked the Tesla employee to help him install malware that once installed, would launch a massive DDoS attack. Which would effectively allow the hackers to occupy the Tesla system, giving them access to steal sensitive corporate data. The hackers would then hold the data until the electric car manufacturer pays big. Kruichkov mentioned that a reward of $1 million would be sent to the Tesla worker in cash or bitcoin.
Enter the FBI
Kruichkov and the hacking group could only hope that the worker would accept the offer. However, the results did not favor the Russians. As soon as the Tesla worker left the meeting he contacted the FBI who then, with the help of the Tesla worker, communicated with the Russian hackers and got as much information as possible. The FBI discovered that the Russians were the ones responsible for the recent $4.5 million ransomware attack on CWT travel.
On August 21st the hacker contacted the Tesla employee and said “the project was delayed” and said he was leaving the area. The FBI followed and arrested the Russian hacker the next day during a failed flee attempt.
This Tesla employee prevented a possible cyberattack on Tesla that could have cost them millions of dollars. Not just in ransom payments but also in the lost operating time that could cost way more than the ransom.
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