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FBI assists in international cybercrime bust amid heightened risk of ransomware

Mar 06, 2023

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The FBI played a role in taking down an international cybercrime gang over the weekend. The cybercriminals reportedly blackmailed large companies and institutions for more than a decade. With the FBI’s assistance, police in Germany said they were able to identify 11 people linked to the group and identified at least 600 victims. According to Europol, the group scammed Americans out of more than $40 million in the span of two years.

The group specialized in what officials call “big game hunting.” They went after big businesses including corporations, hospitals and schools. The scammers targeted company systems then locked companies out using malware. The cybercriminals used the locked data as leverage for ransom. Ransomware is the world’s most disruptive cybercrime. Gangs break into networks and steal sensitive information before activating malware that scrambles data. The criminals demand payment in exchange for decryption keys and a promise not to dump the stolen data online.

This latest international cybercrime takedown comes after the U.S. Justice Department announced last month new priorities and initiatives in taking down cybercriminals. The announcement from the DOJ follows ransomware attacks becoming more and more successful, even government agencies have fallen victim. Last month, the U.S. Marshals Service revealed its systems suffered a ransomware attack in which hackers stole sensitive data.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.

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THE F-B-I PLAYED A ROLE IN TAKING DOWN AN INTERNATIONAL CYBERCRIME GANG.
THE GROUP HAS REPORTEDLY BEEN BLACKMAILING LARGE COMPANIES AND INSTITUTIONS FOR OVER A DECADE.
USING THE F-B-I’S HELP — POLICE IN GERMANY SAID THEY WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY 11 PEOPLE LINKED TO THE GROUP — AS WELL AS AT LEAST 600 VICTIMS.
ACCORDING TO EUROPEAN POLICE —
THE GROUP SCAMMED AMERICANS OUT OF MORE THAN 40 MILLION DOLLARS IN THE SPAN OF TWO YEARS.
THE GROUP SPECIALIZED IN WHAT OFFICIALS CALL “BIG GAME HUNTING.”
THEY WENT AFTER BIG BUSINESS —
TARGETING COMPANY SYSTEMS — AND LOCKING THEM OUT USING MALWARE.
THEN USING THAT LOCKED DATA AS LEVERAGE FOR RANSOM.
THIS LATEST INTERNATIONAL CYBERCRIME TAKEDOWN COMES AS THE U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT ANNOUNCED LAST MONTH NEW PRIORITIES AND INITIATIVES IN TAKING DOWN CYBERCRIMINALS…
AS RANSOMWARE ATTACKS ARE BECOMING MORE AND MORE SUCCESSFUL —
EVEN GOVERNMENT AGENCIES FALLING VICTIM.
LAST MONTH THE U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE REVEALED ITS SYSTEMS SUFFERED A RANSOMWARE ATTACK IN WHICH HACKERS STOLE SENSITIVE DATA.