The Washington, D.C., police department was victimized by a ransomware attack. The Russian-speaking hackers claimed to have stolen 250GB of sensitive data and threatened to release it to local gangs.
The attackers gave the department three days to contact them and warned they "will start to contact gangs in order to drain the informants" if their demands are not met.
The hackers backed up their claims by sharing screenshots of the data, which included chief's reports, arrest logs, and other files about ongoing investigations.
The department said it has asked the FBI to investigate the breach. The cyberattack does not appear to have impacted any police operations. It is unclear if the D.C. police paid a ransom to prevent the stolen data from being leaked.
"We are aware of unauthorized access on our server. While we determine the full impact and continue to review activity, we have engaged the FBI to fully investigate this matter," the department said in a statement.
The FBI has not commented on the cyberattack.
According to the New York Times, a new group known as Babuk claimed responsibility for the attack. The same group was also responsible for a cyberattack against the Houston Rockets earlier this month.
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