A barristers' chambers hit by a ransomware attack has responded by getting a court order demanding the criminals do not share stolen data. 4 New Squar

Ransomware-hit law firm gets court order asking crooks not to publish the data they stole

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2021-07-07 19:00:03

A barristers' chambers hit by a ransomware attack has responded by getting a court order demanding the criminals do not share stolen data.

4 New Square chambers, which counts IT dispute experts among its ranks, obtained a privacy injunction from the High Court at the end of June against "person or persons unknown" who were "blackmailing" the firm.

Those persons were said to be "responsible for engaging in a cyber-attack on [the barristers] on or about 12 June 2021 and/or who is threatening to release the information thereby obtained."

Trade mag The Lawyer reported the ransomware attack but the obtaining of an injunction against people outside the jurisdiction of the English courts seems strange.

Handed down by Mrs Justice Steyn, the injunction orders the ransomware criminals not to "use, publish or communicate or disclose to any other person" any of the (unspecified) data they stole in June. No data from 4 New Square appears to have been published on the known ransomware gangs' Tor-hosted leak blogs, though the injunction return date is this Friday (9 July).

Ransomware, as Reg readers know, is malicious software that encrypts targeted networks before its operators send a demand for money in exchange for the decryption utility. So-called double-extortion ransomware, currently the dominant model, demands a second ransom in return for not publishing or sharing data stolen during the initial attack.