Hacker group’s site taken over by law enforcement
Law enforcement authorities seem to have gained control of an online platform operated by a prominent criminal syndicate responsible for orchestrating ransomware cyber attacks.
The website in question is affiliated with the LockBit group, known for providing services enabling individuals to infiltrate computer networks and withhold data until a ransom is remitted.
On Monday evening, visitors to the group’s website were greeted with a message indicating that it is now “under the supervision of law enforcement.” The message specifically mentions that the site is being managed by the National Crime Agency of the UK in collaboration with the FBI and the international law enforcement task force known as “Operation Cronos.”
It further states that the operation is ongoing and evolving, advising visitors to check back for updates at 11:30 GMT on Tuesday, February 20th.
According to information posted on LockBit’s website, the operation was carried out jointly by the National Crime Agency of Britain, the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States, Europol, and a coalition of international law enforcement agencies.
The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has previously issued a warning about the “enduring threat” posed by the group, alongside partner agencies in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany and New Zealand.
The statement from last year adds that LockBit’s eponymous software was the “most deployed ransomware variant” across the world in 2022, and that it “continues to be prolific so far in 2023”.
LockBit has been involved in many high-profile hackings, including the UK’s Royal Mail in early 2023. The group and its affiliates make money by stealing sensitive data and threatening to leak it unless their victims pay a ransom.
LockBit was first discovered in 2020, according to Reuters, when the software surfaced on Russian language forums, leading some analysts to believe the group is based in Russia.
