Skip to main content

Ransomware Gang Threatens to Feed Artists’ Work to AI

The ransomware group LunaLock has allegedly hacked the website Artists&Clients, a platform that connects artists with clients, and encrypted all of its data. The hackers have requested a $50,000 ransom and threatened to use the stolen content to train Large Language Models (LLMs) if the organization refuses to pay.

According to 404 media, on August 30, a warning about the hack appeared on the website. The site was taken down a few days later, on Tuesday.

“This website was breached by LunaLock. All of its data, including user account email addresses and passwords, has been stolen and encrypted, rendering the website inaccessible,” stated one of the messages, according to screenshots taken by users and shared on Reddit.

The hackers urged the website administrator to contact them and pay the ransom. They promised to delete all data after they received the money in Bitcoin or Monero.

“If this ransom is not paid, we will release all data publicly,” threatened the malicious actors. “Additionally, we will submit all artwork to AI companies to be added to training datasets.”

While ransom notes like this are common — and align with LunaLock’s usual strategy — what makes this attack stand out is the threat to feed stolen content into AI models.

“This is the first time I see a threat actor use training AI models as part of their extortion tactic,” said Tammy Harper, a threat intelligence researcher at the cybersecurity company Flare, in an interview with 404 Media.

Harper noted that the tactic could be effective against artists, as many creatives are actively protecting their content from unauthorized use by AI systems.

Many users expressed their concerns on Reddit and complained about Artists&Clients for not sharing an official statement yet. Several reported receiving a suspicious email from the hackers from the platform’s email account.

“I got the email and honestly I had forgotten about the website (never got any commissions from there),” wrote one user. “Not worried about my data because I have 2FA in everything important, but the AI thing makes me sad :(“

Other ransomware gangs have also attacked recently. A few weeks ago, hackers from World Leaks claimed to have breached Dell and leaked 1.3TB of data, and the notorious group BlackCat announced they had stolen 70 terabytes of data from the Barts Health NHS Trust.



See TessMore Internet Business Must-Reads
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Only 1 in 10 NFT Owners Have Never Experienced a Scam

A new survey from PrivacyHQ reveals 90% or nine out of 10 respondents experienced an NFT scam. This level of uncertainty is cause for concern for a relatively new marketplace that is generating billions of dollars. Only 1 in 10 NFT Owners Have Never Experienced a Scam The PrivacyHQ survey spoke to 1,008 people in the U.S. who are actively investing in and own NFTs. And according to the report, there are some horror stories and great lessons to be learned. The key takeaways from the survey are: Less than half of NFT owners feel their NFTs are secure Two out of 3 respondents said they had panic-sold NFTs in the past Nine out of 10 respondents had experienced an NFT scam Half of the respondents had lost access to their NFTs at some point When it comes to NFT scams there were multiple ways in which buyers were scammed. Topping the list of the most common scams experienced by these respondents starts out with the NFT provider shutting down or changing their URL at 44.8%. Next is...
Post a Comment
Read more

Thousands Still Available in COVID Relief with These Small Business Grants

Building improvements can be a major expense for small businesses. And many had to make certain changes to navigate the past few years. Restaurants set up outdoor patios. Historic properties restored their storefronts. And offices added energy efficient features. Many businesses also have improvement projects planned for 2022. Luckily, many small business grant programs across the country make these projects more attainable, thus improving the customer experience and the community at large. Here are some current small business grant opportunities for building improvements, pandemic recovery, and more. Raleigh Building-Up Fit Grant Raleigh’s Small Business Development department is launching a new grant opportunity for local businesses. The Building-Up Fit Grant offers matching reimbursement funds up to $25,000 for eligible renovation projects. Businesses with 50 employees or less can apply for grants to cover projects that significantly improve the appearance and value of the pro...
Post a Comment
Read more

openSNP Shutters Over Privacy and Authoritarianism Concerns

OpenSNP, a long-running open-source genetic data platform, is shutting down after citing growing concerns over data privacy, the misuse of genetic information by law enforcement, and the rise of authoritarian governments. The decision comes as 23andMe, a major source of user-submitted genetic data for openSNP, faces bankruptcy and a potential selloff of user data . Founded in 2011, openSNP allowed users to upload genetic data from services like 23andMe to make it freely available for scientific research. Co-founder Bastian Greshake Tzovaras said the closure was triggered in part by the collapse of 23andMe and the broader political climate. Speaking to TechCrunch, he stated : “The risk/benefit calculus of providing free and open access to individual genetic data in 2025 is very different compared to 14 years ago.” The database has collected roughly 7,500 genomes and supported academic work across biomedical research, information security, and more. But its founder now questions the ...
Post a Comment
Read more