Metro Police in Washington, D.C., hit by ransomware attack

April 27 (UPI) -- Washington, D.C., police said Tuesday that a ransomware attack has targeted its server and it's asked federal authorities to investigate the cybercrime.

Washington's Metropolitan Police Department acknowledged the attack and said that it's requested assistance from the FBI.

"We are aware of unauthorized access on our server," the department said, according to NBC News. "While we determine the full impact and continue to review activity, we have engaged the FBI to fully investigate this matter.

According to The New York Times, the hacked data started leaking online Monday. Babuk, a type of ransomware known for attacks that demand ransom in Bitcoin, claimed responsibility.

In a dark web post, Babuk hackers threatened to leak 250 gigabytes of data if the ransom wasn't paid within three days. They also demanded information about police informants.

The Babuk ransomware threat has been responsible for at least five breaches of large companies since it was first detected early this year, global cybersecurity firm McAfee said in a summary of threat.

Experts say Babuk operators leak stolen data on a public website and advertise on English- and Russian-speaking forums -- often using the English pages for announcements and the Russian ones for recruitment and software updates.

"The individuals behind Babuk ransomware have explicitly expressed themselves negatively against the Black Lives Matter and LGBT communities," McAfee wrote in a blog post.