World Council of Churches subjected to ransomware attack

Global Christian inter-church organization World Council of Churches had all of its systems disrupted following a ransomware attack on Dec. 26, which the Lutheran World Foundation, one of its members, has confirmed to be related to an incident that has since been claimed by the Rhysida ransomware operation, according to The Record, a news site by cybersecurity firm Recorded Future. Nearly $280,000 worth of Bitcoin has been demanded by Rhysida from the LWF, with the ransomware gang threatening to leak the stolen data within a week. "The World Council of Churches (WCC) was the target of a cyber-attack over the Christmas holidays. Some LWF systems have also been affected. The situation continues to be dealt with by experts," said a LWF spokesperson. Such an attack comes after Rhysida targeted major U.S. hospital operator Prospect Medical Holdings, as well as government organizations in Chile, Kuwait, Portugal, and others, prompting an advisory from U.S. cybersecurity agencies emphasizing the severity of the ransomware gang's operations.