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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWestern Digital’s 2023 cyberattack involved confirmed theft of a copy of its online-store database, but not every file BlackCat/ALPHV claimed to possess was verified. The company identified unauthorized access on March 26 and disclosed the incident on April 2. In late April, BlackCat published purported screenshots of Western Digital material; the company later said it was investigating the validity of other alleged information.
What happened in the Western Digital cyberattack?
Western Digital said it identified unauthorized access to some company systems on March 26, 2023. In a statement filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on April 2, the company said it believed certain data had been obtained and that its investigation was at an early stage. It was working with outside security and forensic experts, coordinating with law enforcement, and taking some systems and services offline while it restored affected infrastructure. Western Digital’s April 2, 2023 statement
On April 28, BleepingComputer reported that threat actors had published screenshots of emails, documents, and applications and claimed access to additional Western Digital material. The screenshots were presented as evidence by the attackers, but they do not, by themselves, establish the authenticity or full scope of all the material they said they had. BleepingComputer’s April 28 report
What data did Western Digital confirm was stolen?
In an update dated May 5, 2023, Western Digital confirmed that an unauthorized party obtained a copy of its online-store database. The company said it contained customer names, billing and shipping addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers. It also contained hashed and salted passwords and partial credit-card numbers in encrypted format. The company did not state how many customers were affected. Western Digital’s May 5, 2023 update
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What did BlackCat claim to have stolen?
BlackCat/ALPHV’s late-April publication and claims concerned material beyond the online-store database, including emails, documents, and applications shown in screenshots, as reported by BleepingComputer. Those broader claims should be distinguished from the database theft Western Digital confirmed. In its May update, the company said: “We are aware that other alleged Western Digital information has been made public. We are investigating the validity of this data and will continue reporting our findings as appropriate.”
The cited statements do not establish the complete extent of data obtained or authenticate every other item the attackers claimed to possess. It would therefore be inaccurate to describe all alleged files or systems as confirmed stolen.
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How did Western Digital respond, and what happened to its services?
Western Digital said it took some systems and services offline as it investigated and worked to restore affected infrastructure. By May 5, it reported that most affected systems and services were operational. The company said its My Cloud service had been restored on April 13 and that it would communicate directly with affected customers. These are the company’s reported response and restoration milestones, not a measure of the full impact of the incident.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What happened to the BlackCat operation afterward?
In December 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a disruption campaign against ALPHV/BlackCat that included FBI access to the group’s network and the seizure of websites. The department said the FBI had offered a decryption tool to more than 500 victims and estimated that the tool had helped avoid approximately $68 million in ransom demands across multiple victims. It also said the operation had targeted more than 1,000 victims. These figures describe the ransomware operation overall, not Western Digital’s incident. U.S. Department of Justice, December 19, 2023
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On April 30, 2026, the Justice Department announced four-year prison sentences for two U.S. affiliates who deployed ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware against multiple victims in 2023. That later enforcement action concerns the broader ransomware operation; it does not establish what specific Western Digital files were taken. U.S. Department of Justice, April 30, 2026
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