Hackers Leak Atraf User Information After Ransom Non-Payment

A group of hackers has leaked personal data from “hundreds of thousands” of users of Israeli dating app ‘Atraf’.

‘Black Shadow’ members obtained the information last week and threatened to expose it if they weren’t paid a ransom of $1 million. Their demands weren’t met within 48 hours and the data was publicly uploaded.

Reports suggest that Atraf’s owners offered to pay $350,000 in Bitcoin, but this wasn’t enough to stop the leak.

It’s believed that Black Shadow is in possession of data from around one million members of the gay dating app and it claims to have more plans for leaks in the near future.

A large number of users are rightly concerned about the implications of the leak, especially if they haven’t told their friends and family about their sexuality. While Israel is considered to be the most LGBTQ-friendly country in the Middle East, there are still major issues that can arise when sexualities or HIV-statuses are exposed.

Major cybersecurity experts and government officials in the country remain strong in the position of refusing to give into ransom demands. They say there is no guarantee that the hackers will delete the data even after they’ve been paid.

Black Shadow is also known for targeting Israeli companies and is believed to be motivated by anti-Israel propaganda rather than money. Public transport companies, a children’s museum and a radio blog were also impacted in this latest round of attacks.

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