Gentex confirms data breach by Dunghill ransomware gang

Gentex Corporation, a technology and manufacturing company based in Michigan specializing in electronics, camera systems, and sensor products for the automotive and aerospace industries, has confirmed a data breach resulting from an attack by the Dunghill ransomware gang, a relatively new threat group which refer themselves as "a group of computer specialists."

This breach, which occurred several months ago, was only recently disclosed by the company after the ransomware gang which claimed responsibility for the attack published 5 TB of sensitive corporate data, which reportedly includes emails, client documents, and personal data of approximately 10,000 Gentex employees, such as Social Security numbers. Cybersecurity vendors had previously mentioned Dunghill’s activity on Twitter, supporting the gang’s claims.

Although the authenticity of the leaked data is yet to be confirmed, the company confirmed the breach, stating that it knew of the breach and had already informed all affected parties. Craig Piersma, Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Communications at Gentex, emphasized that the incident had no impact on the company’s operations. The exact date of the breach remains unclear, as Gentex has not provided further details.

The method used by Dunghill to compromise Gentex and whether encryption was involved is unknown. Notably, when Gentex ignored the data leak, Dunghill claimed to have shared the stolen data with manufacturers from India, China, and the United States, citing Gentex’s refusal to cooperate. However, whether these manufacturers are competitors, partners, or both is unclear.