A cybercriminal group known as Trinity has claimed responsibility for an alleged theft of 560 gigabytes of sensitive data from Spain's Tax Agency (Agencia Tributaria), and are demanding a ransom of $38 million, threatening to release the data if the payment is not made by 31st December 2024.
According to Trinity, the stolen information includes private taxpayer details and internal agency records, but despite the alarming declaration, the Tax Agency has firmly denied any data breach or compromise.
In an official statement, the agency assured that after thoroughly reviewing its systems, no evidence of hacking, data theft, or encryption of files has been detected.
“All services are functioning normally. We maintain active monitoring of our systems to ensure their security,” stated representatives from the agency, which operates under the supervision of Spain’s Finance Minister, María Jesús Montero.
While Trinity persists in its claim of possessing confidential information, the Tax Agency has refrained from making further comments. For now, its systems remain operational and under vigilant surveillance. However, the situation has raised concerns, as ransomware attacks and data breaches are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
The agency's denial and the hackers' accusations leave a cloud of uncertainty over the legitimacy of the claims. As December 31st approaches, further developments may shed light on the veracity of Trinity’s threats or the robustness of the agency’s cybersecurity defences.
