Cyber Threat Intelligence
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Ransomware Victim Public Sector

Iraqi Council of Ministers

Ransomware attack by Babuk2 · Disclosed March 13, 2025 · 🇮🇶 Iraq

cabinet.iq

Date Disclosed
Mar 13, 2025
2025
Threat Group
Babuk2
180 total victims
Country
🇮🇶 Iraq
Industry
Public Sector

ThreatAI Analysis

Compiled from this incident record and the threat intelligence profile for Babuk2. Figures and technique mappings are quoted from the source data, not inferred.

About the Babuk2 group

Babuk Locker 2.0, also known as Bjorka or SkyWave, after failing to make any profit from selling public databases on forums, decided to impersonate Babuk Ransomware group. He launched a blog where he claimed multiple public breaches from BreachForums as ransomware attacks Babuk2 has listed 180 victims since February 2021.

Incident Analysis

Iraqi Council of Ministers was targeted by Babuk2 ransomware, one of the most active ransomware groups in our database with 180 confirmed victims globally. The attack was disclosed on March 13, 2025, when Iraqi Council of Ministers appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

Iraqi Council of Ministers is based in Iraq , operating in the Public Sector sector. Iraq ranks #85 globally for ransomware attacks, with 9 victims in our database.

Sector context: Organisations in this sector hold valuable data and operational systems that ransomware groups seek to exploit for financial gain through encryption and data exfiltration.

Babuk2 typically employs a double extortion model: first exfiltrating sensitive data from the victim's systems, then deploying ransomware to encrypt files. Victims face two simultaneous threats — paying to restore access and paying to prevent publication of stolen data. The group's leak site publishes victim names and exfiltrated data as leverage.

Data source: This incident record is sourced from public ransomware group leak site disclosures aggregated via the ransomware.live API. Disclosure date reflects when the victim was published on the leak site, which may differ from the initial date of compromise. This platform does not publish or link to stolen data. Last data update: Sep 5, 2026 18:00 UTC.

Frequently Asked Questions

Was Iraqi Council of Ministers attacked by ransomware?

Yes. Iraqi Council of Ministers was listed as a victim of the Babuk2 ransomware group on March 13, 2025. The organisation is based in Iraq and operates in the Public Sector sector. The disclosure appeared on the group's dark web leak site.

Which ransomware group attacked Iraqi Council of Ministers?

Iraqi Council of Ministers was attacked by Babuk2 ransomware. Babuk2 is one of the most active ransomware groups, having claimed 180 victims globally. The group typically employs a double-extortion model: encrypting the victim's files and threatening to publish stolen data.

When did the Iraqi Council of Ministers ransomware attack occur?

The ransomware attack on Iraqi Council of Ministers was disclosed on March 13, 2025. This date reflects when the victim was published on the threat group's leak site, which may differ from the actual date of initial compromise.

What data was stolen in the Iraqi Council of Ministers ransomware attack?

The specific data stolen from Iraqi Council of Ministers has not been independently verified by this platform. Ransomware groups typically exfiltrate data before encrypting systems and use the threat of publication to pressure victims. As a Public Sector organisation, Iraqi Council of Ministers likely held sensitive business data, client information, and operational records.

How can organisations protect against Babuk2 attacks?

To defend against Babuk2 and similar threat actors, organisations should: maintain regular offline backups tested for restoration; implement network segmentation to limit lateral movement; deploy multi-factor authentication on all remote access; use endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools; conduct regular phishing and security awareness training; and monitor threat intelligence feeds for indicators of compromise (IOCs) associated with active groups.