Brokerage firm Benjamin F. Edwards hit by ransomware

 A June 27 letter to the New Hampshire Attorney General's office states a Benjamin F. Edwards & Co. employee was the victim of CryptoWall, code that encrypted files not only on that user's computer but also on “certain shared drives” that the employee could access. 

CryptoWall was behind a DropBox scam that infected nearly 350,000 machines and raked in $70,000 worth of Bitcoins for attackers. Such “ransomware” blocks victims from accessing their data unless a ransom is paid.

Investigators have not been able to identify the type of information affected, but it is clear that data was transmitted to a suspicious IP address.

"During our investigation we learned some of our information was taken but do not have specific evidence that suggests information about our clients and employees was acquired by a third party or has been fraudulently used," a brokerage firm spokesperson said in a statement to CSO.

“Because the possibility exists that client or employee information could be affected, we voluntarily disclosed the incident to our current and former clients and employees.”