WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Energy received a ransom request from Russian-linked hackers known as Clop after two of its entities fell victim to a wide-ranging cyberattack.
Oak Ridge Associated Universities, which manages a contract with several of the department’s national laboratories, and the National Nuclear Security Administration, the agency arm that maintains the U.S. nuclear stockpile, received the request, but didn’t respond, said Pam Bonee, a spokeswoman for Oak Ridge. The request didn’t specify a dollar amount, she added.
Another ransom request was received by another Energy Department arm affected by the hack, the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant that stores nuclear waste underground in Carlsbad, New Mexico, Reuters reported.
