Cybercriminals Demand $1 Million Ransom from Sterling Bank After Major Data Breach

Sterling Bank is facing a ransom demand from a hacker group called ByteToBreach after sensitive customer and employee data appeared on a dark web forum. The attackers claim to have leaked more than nine million records, including information linked to about 900,000 customers and over 3,000 staff members. They also mention a separate dataset tied to Cardinal Stone, an investment banking firm. Exposed personal details raise serious concerns about identity theft and financial fraud. According to messages reviewed by Economy Post, Sterling Bank asked for assurances that the stolen data would be deleted. ByteToBreach insisted on a non-negotiable payment of 0.5 percent of a stated $200 million figure—roughly $1 million—in exchange for removing the files. Negotiations appear to have ended without an agreement.

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