February 19, 2024 at 08:25PM
LockBit’s website has been seized by UK’s National Crime Agency, claiming they’ve disrupted the ransomware gang’s operations. The NCA worked with international law enforcement including the FBI in Operation Cronos. Europol takes credit, hinting the gang’s disruption. LockBit was infamous for attacks and ransomware-as-a-service, with millions in ransom payments and geopolitical implications.
Key takeaways from the meeting notes:
– Law enforcement authorities have taken over the website of ransomware gang LockBit, claiming to have disrupted the group’s operations.
– The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) is specifically mentioned as having control of LockBit’s .onion site, with involvement from the FBI and an international law enforcement task force called Operation Cronos.
– Europol has reportedly taken credit for shutting down LockBit, which is known for numerous high-profile attacks, including on a children’s hospital, Infosys, Subway, and many others.
– LockBit was a pioneer of ransomware-as-a-service, but its business model began to decline in late 2023, leading to rule changes to secure bigger ransoms.
– LockBit is believed to have extorted tens of millions of dollars in ransom payments and threatened to reveal victims’ data unless further funds were provided.
– There are geopolitical implications, as LockBit is thought to be directed from Moscow and possibly part of a wider campaign to disrupt Russia’s enemies.
These takeaways summarize the significant developments and implications related to the disruption of LockBit’s operations by law enforcement.