Quantum Ransomware Attack on American International Industries

The ransomware group Quantum has claimed responsibility for an attack on American International Industries (AII), a company operating in the Energy, Utilities & Waste sector. AII, established in 1966, is a member of the A.I.I. Group of Companies and has extensive experience serving the oil & gas, industrial and commercial sectors, including the supply of civil, electrical, mechanical, structural, and chemical engineering products to the infrastructure, industrial, marine, and power generation industries.

The attack on AII is part of a series of disruptions caused by Quantum, which has been linked to the crippling ransomware attack on Change Healthcare, a medical firm that provides services to pharmacies and health care providers. The group has been known to use a known valid account, exposed RDP servers, and FortiOS vulnerabilities to gain initial access to an organization's network.

Quantum's attack on AII highlights the vulnerabilities of companies in the energy sector to ransomware attacks. The group's ability to exploit FortiOS vulnerabilities and gain access to an organization's network underscores the importance of securing network infrastructure and implementing robust cybersecurity measures.

The impact of the attack on AII is not yet clear, but it is part of a broader trend of ransomware attacks on critical infrastructure and essential services. The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have identified nearly 70 publicly known victims of Quantum, with health care-related entities making up a large portion of these attacks.

In response to the attack, AII and other companies in the energy sector should prioritize cybersecurity measures, including multifactor authentication, least privilege principles, network segmentation, attack surface management, secure domain controllers, and regular security patches and software updates. Additionally, companies should stay informed about the latest threats and vulnerabilities through dark web intelligence and threat intelligence platforms.

Sources

• American International Industries Pte. Ltd. (A.I.I.)
• Ransomware group behind Change Healthcare attack goes dark
• Hackers Behind the Change Healthcare Ransomware Attack
• Dark Web Profile: Play Ransomware