Hackers steal files from Seattle airport and demand a $6 million Bitcoin ransom, operator refuses to pay
ChainCatcher news, an official at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport said on Wednesday that hackers demanded $6 million in Bitcoin from the airport operator in exchange for files stolen during a cyberattack last month, which were released on the dark web this week. The official stated that the Port of Seattle, which owns and operates the airport, has decided not to pay.The airport's aviation director, Lance Lyttle, said the airport previously linked the attack to a ransomware group called Rhysida, and the FBI is now conducting a criminal investigation. "On Monday, the hackers posted a copy of eight files stolen from the Port system on the dark web and sought 100 Bitcoins to purchase this data."Lyttle told a U.S. Senate committee that the airport appeared to have thwarted the attack, but the hackers were able to encrypt some data.