Hertz.com listed by Clop ransomware group on leak site

• Ransomware group: Clop
• Country: United States
• Sector: Transportation
• Announcement date: January 24, 2025

Clop claims data breach against HERTZ.COM

The Clop ransomware group has listed HERTZ.COM on its leak site, claiming a data breach. This announcement, made on January 24, 2025, marks a new potential incident for the international transportation sector. While the group has officially claimed to have compromised the organization's data, the specific details regarding the scope of the incident remain unverified at this time.

The event was officially announced on the group's platform on January 24, 2025. According to the claim, the group has successfully breached the organization's systems. However, the evidence provided by the threat actors is currently limited. The screenshot provided by the group does not contain any data samples and only displays a server error page, leaving the actual content of the alleged breach unclear.

Details of the alleged data breach

The nature of the leaked data is currently unknown. Despite the group's claim of a successful compromise, the provided screenshot contains only a server error page, which offers no insight into what information may have been targeted or exfiltrated. Consequently, the listing names no specific data types.

Potential implications of data exposure

If the alleged data is eventually published by the threat actors, it could lead to significant secondary risks for the organization's customers. These risks include the possibility of identity theft and the execution of targeted phishing attacks. Such scenarios are common in double extortion ransomware attacks, where threat actors not only encrypt data but also threaten to leak sensitive information to pressure victims into paying a ransom.

About HERTZ.COM

Hertz is an international car rental company operating worldwide. It provides vehicle rental services to individual and corporate customers with a wide fleet of vehicles.

Analysis and industry context

The Clop group is known for conducting large-scale data theft campaigns by exploiting vulnerabilities in file transfer software. Given the group's past activities, it is possible that the attack may have been facilitated through supply chain or third-party software vulnerabilities. This specific method of exploitation has been a hallmark of their operations in previous campaigns.

This claim suggests that customer or employee data could have been compromised. Because the organization is based in the United States, a potential data breach may be subject to state-level data breach notification laws and sector-specific regulations. Organizations operating in the transportation sector must remain vigilant against such threats, as they often manage vast amounts of sensitive customer information.

In general, when organizations face such claims, defensive measures often involve strengthening patch management to address software vulnerabilities, implementing strict access controls, and enhancing monitoring of file transfer protocols. As ransomware groups continue to evolve their tactics, particularly through supply chain exploitation, maintaining robust third-party risk management programs becomes increasingly critical for large-scale international enterprises.