● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportMedium impact1 negative
University of Illinois Chicago Medical School Hit by Booba Ransomware Attack
Key points
- UIC College of Medicine systems were temporarily inaccessible.
- Booba ransomware gang claimed responsibility and 344 GB data theft.
- All affected systems have been restored; patient care was not impacted.
- Booba gang is a new group, possibly a rebrand of Frag ransomware.
Ransomware Attack on UIC College of Medicine
The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) recently identified a ransomware attack affecting its College of Medicine. This incident led to some systems becoming temporarily unavailable. A university spokesperson confirmed that hackers stole some information from the college's servers.
Investigation and Recovery Efforts
An investigation is underway to determine if any personal, research, or academic information was compromised during the attack. All affected systems have since been restored, and the university's main network remained unaffected. Patient care delivery at UI Health was also not impacted. The incident was reported to law enforcement, and recovery efforts were coordinated with various agencies.
Booba Ransomware Gang Claims Responsibility
The ransomware attack was claimed by a new group known as Booba, which emerged in late July and has already claimed 49 attacks. The gang stated they stole 344 gigabytes of data. According to SentinelOne's Brett Williams, Booba appears to be a rebrand of the Frag ransomware, based on similarities in their leak site style and negotiation process. The group uses the .booba extension for encrypted files and has variants for both Linux and Windows.
Previous Targets and Impact
Booba has previously targeted several companies and small county governments, including Merrimack County, New Hampshire. Merrimack County confirmed a cyberattack several weeks prior, which caused dispatchers to lose access to criminal data from the state's software, but has since recovered.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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Reporting from
The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) College of Medicine experienced a ransomware attack by the Booba gang, resulting in temporary system unavailability and potential data theft. The university is investigating the extent of compromised personal, research, or academic information and plans to notify affected individuals.