The ransomware gang has claimed to have stolen 3,000 blueprints from Elon Musk’s SpaceX space team and is threatening to sell them to competitors.
A group calling itself LockBit warned the American billionaire earlier this week, threatening to sell the leaked drawings at auction on March 20.
In an internet post, the group said these models would find their buyer as soon as possible, according to the British Daily Mail.
“We’ll help you sell your designs to other manufacturers, like building a ship faster and flying far,” he said in a post to Musk.
“There are approximately 3,000 drawings approved by SpaceX engineers,” he added, adding, “We will launch the auction within a week and all available data will be published!”
Countdown
Additionally, a countdown timer directed to the page showed the number of days remaining, which is the deadline for an undisclosed amount SpaceX must pay the ransomware group.
Also underneath the post are three “classified” documents allegedly leaked by Maximum Industries, believed to be a SpaceX contractor.
It also included an engine design, a non-disclosure agreement between SpaceX and Maximum Industries, and kits for the spaceship.
100 million dollars from the victims
For its part, the US Justice Department said LockBit first appeared in early 2020 and has since generated at least $100 million from ransom victims worldwide.
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been investigating the group since March 2020 and believes there have been at least 1,000 fatalities worldwide.
Interestingly, LockBit’s threats weren’t limited to the aerospace industry, as Bonta Viva, a cheese maker, and Radium Life Technology, a real estate company, are facing similar ransom threats.
