Tech Giant Brought to Knees by Largest Ransomware Attack in Cyber History
- 19 Jul, 2025
In what cybersecurity experts are calling the most extensive ransomware attack in history, US-based cloud infrastructure giant OrionStack has confirmed that its internal and client-facing systems were compromised by the ransomware group “Midnight Hydra.” The attackers infiltrated the system through a zero-day exploit in a widely used Linux library, encrypting over 12 petabytes of data across hundreds of servers.
The attack has left major corporations—including banking institutions, hospitals, and logistics firms—unable to access critical applications hosted on OrionStack's infrastructure. Midnight Hydra has demanded $80 million in Bitcoin to provide the decryption keys. OrionStack’s CEO stated in a press briefing that they are not negotiating with the attackers and are working with the FBI, Interpol, and several private security firms to recover systems.
Early investigations reveal that the attackers had been inside the network for over three weeks before initiating the encryption, suggesting a highly coordinated effort. Cybersecurity professionals are urging companies to audit their OrionStack-deployed systems and immediately implement incident response protocols.
This breach is raising alarm bells in the tech and government sectors alike. The White House has convened an emergency task force to assess the national security impact, and some experts are calling for mandatory cybersecurity compliance for cloud providers. The attack marks a turning point in digital infrastructure vulnerability and could lead to stricter global regulations in cloud computing security.