In June 2014 I wrote here about how the concept of hackers demanding ransom from companies in exchange for the hackers leaving them alone and moving on to other targets was new to me. Just seven months later, we have the U.S. government accusing foreign countries of hacking massive companies like Sony and making ransom-like demands if Sony wants the attacks to end.

This week has brought another, very "2015" twist on the concept of hackers seeking ransom. Yesterday, a group of hackers calling itself Rex Mundi announced on its Twitter feed that it had hacked the servers of the Swiss bank Banque Cantonale de Geneve (BCGE). Rex Mundi threatened that if BCGE did not pay Rex Mundi 10,000 Euros by today at 6PM CET (i.e., noon Eastern time), that it would release tens of thousands of emails and customer records on its website as well as on clearnet.  

We have hacked the servers of the Swiss bank Banque Cantonale de Geneve (BCGE) http://t.co/uTdLLeL2O1

— Rex Mundi (@rexmundi14) January 8, 2015

If we do not get paid in the meantime, we will post the Banque Cantonale de Geneve #leak tonight on our website.

— Rex Mundi (@rexmundi14) January 9, 2015

BCGE stated earlier this week that it was “resisting” the cyberattack, and that the information in question was “in no way critical and of no great use or even obsolete.” BCGE appears to have held firm in rejecting this extortion because at noon today, Rex Mundi tweeted that "the BCGE leak is here, in all its glory" along with a link to what it claimed were the hacked records. This release followed a couple of other taunting tweets directed to BCGE's customers:

We would like to wish a merry tax audit to all the non-Swiss account holders listed in the BCGE files.

— Rex Mundi (@rexmundi14) January 9, 2015

If you are a BCGE customer, we are glad to let you know that your privacy is not worth 10,000EUR to your bank.

— Rex Mundi (@rexmundi14) January 9, 2015

Welcome to hacking in the social media era.

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