Catholic Charities targeted by Inc Ransom in alleged data breach

• Ransomware group: Inc Ransom
• Country: United States
• Sector: Professional Services
• Announcement date: October 13, 2023

The ransomware group known as Inc Ransom has published an announcement on its leak site, claiming to have targeted Catholic Charities. According to the group's claims, the organization's systems were accessed, resulting in the acquisition of various documents. This announcement, made on October 13, 2023, serves as a public claim of a successful breach and data exfiltration.

The details of the alleged attack

The Inc Ransom group released its claim on October 13, 2023, asserting that they had successfully gained access to the internal systems of Catholic Charities. To support their claims of a successful intrusion, the group shared a "proof pack" containing samples of the data they allege to have stolen from the organization.

While the group has publicized this incident, the specific details regarding the total volume of data stolen or the specific number of files involved have not been disclosed by the attackers. Furthermore, the group has not provided any information regarding a ransom demand or the specific amount requested to prevent the release of the data. The announcement is categorized as a data leak notification on the group's platform.

Data types involved in the leak

Based on the screenshots provided by the group, the leaked information appears to include a variety of sensitive materials. The shared imagery displays various forms, personal information, and administrative documents associated with the organization. However, the group has not provided a detailed or comprehensive list regarding the full scope and the specific content of the leaked data.

• Personal data
• Administrative documents

About Catholic Charities

Catholic Charities of Broome County is a non-profit organization based in New York. The organization provides essential services to the community, including family health, homelessness assistance, and various social support services. They manage several social welfare programs designed to assist individuals and families in need within the region.

Implications and industry context

The Inc Ransom group is a relatively new entity, having emerged in mid-2023. The group is known to operate using a double-extortion model. In such attacks, threat actors do not merely encrypt an organization's data to demand a ransom for decryption; they also steal sensitive information and threaten to leak it publicly if the ransom is not paid. This dual pressure increases the impact of the attack on the victim organization.

Because the leaked data may include personal information, there is a potential risk that it could be used for malicious purposes, such as identity theft or targeted phishing attacks. Given that Catholic Charities is involved in health initiatives, the sensitivity of the information involved could be high. This level of sensitivity can potentially lead to significant legal consequences under regulations such as HIPAA in the United States, which governs the protection of sensitive patient health information.

The public disclosure of such data can also lead to significant reputational damage for the organization. For organizations operating in the professional services and social support sectors, maintaining data integrity and confidentiality is critical for public trust. General defensive measures for organizations include implementing robust access controls, maintaining regular backups, and conducting thorough security awareness training to mitigate the risk of unauthorized access and subsequent extortion attempts.