May 28, 2024 at 02:49PM
BreachForums has reemerged under the control of ShinyHunters just weeks after law enforcement seized it. The FBI’s takedown did not fully dismantle the site, as ShinyHunters claimed to escape unscathed and regained access. Former FBI agent Austin Berglas noted that while the action was a success, fully dismantling criminal groups is extremely difficult.
The meeting notes indicate that the notorious ransomware leak site BreachForums has made a resurgence under the control of ShinyHunters, one of its former administrators. Despite the FBI takedown in May, the site has reemerged. There is concern about the criminals’ ability to profit from pilfered data and extortion attempts since law enforcement has not yet made an official statement or visibly disrupted the criminal group. It is also noted that the complete dismantlement of an online criminal group is quite challenging and that seizing the primary domain(s) and related servers may not be sufficient to disable the group entirely. However, the previous action against BreachForums is deemed a success, as it serves as a significant deterrent to cyber criminals and demonstrates that organized crime can be uncovered and addressed with the appropriate time and resources.