Security intelligence company Akamai warned earlier this week that extortionists claiming to be the Russian-linked hacking group Fancy Bear have recently been sending ransom letters to companies in finance, travel and e-commerce in the Asia-Pacific, the United States and the United Kingdom demanding payments to stop attacks.
The disruptions, which come as the benchmark S&P/NZX-50 index nears a record high, are frustrating investors who were unable to trade amid a busy company earnings season. In November, government cyber security agency CERT NZ said it had received reports of extortion e-mails targeting companies within the financial sector in New Zealand. It said the e-mails claimed to be from a Russian group called"Fancy Bear/Cozy Bear" and demanded a ransom to avoid denial-of-service attacks.