A well-known criminal gang that orchestrates ransomware cyber attacks had its online site reportedly overtaken by law enforcement officials. The group, LockBit sells services that enable individuals to infiltrate computer networks and withhold data until a ransom is paid. On Monday evening, a notice appeared online on the group’s site stating that it was “now under control of law enforcement.”
The message reads that the site is controlled by the UK’s National Crime Agency, the FBI and an international law enforcement task force called ‘Operation Cronos,’ and an “ongoing and developing operation.” The notice suggests internet users can “return here for more information at 11:30 GMT on Tuesday, February 20th.”
Britain’s National Crime Agency, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, Europol, and a coalition of international police agencies conducted the operation. Last year, the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre, in collaboration with other nations, alerted the public to LockBit’s dangerous activities, describing the eponymous software as the “most deployed ransomware variant” worldwide in 2022. The organization continues to be prevalent in 2023.
The criminal group LockBit is infamous for their many high-profile hackings, including the Royal Mail in early 2023. LockBit and its affiliates make their money by stealing sensitive data and threatening to release it to the public unless their targets pay a ransom.
In 2020, LockBit was first spotted on Russian language fora, leading some analysts to believe that the group is Russian-based
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