Tag: lockbit
Ransomware group offers cyber gangs legal advice
A new cybercriminal group, Qilin, is rapidly establishing dominance in the murky world of ransomware by providing not just ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) but a full soup-to-nuts cybercrime service .In addition to the malware, Qilin also provides a full suite of legal guidance for criminals together with operational and storage features. According cybersecurity company, Cybereason, Qilin is positioning itself not just as a ransomware group, but as a full cybercrime service.
Russian Authorities Arrest FBI’s Most Wanted Hacker
The FBI’s most wanted hacker, Mikhail Pavlovich Matveev, dubbed the “Moriarty” of cybercrime, has finally been arrested by Russian authorities. Described by the FBI as a “prolific” cybercriminal, Matveev has had a $10 million bounty on his head for any information leading to his arrest since 2023. The arrest is a turning point on the part of the Russian authorities, as cybercriminals have long seen Russia as a safe haven. According to intelligence sources, this could either represent an attempt to try and legitimize the Russian economy or an indication that the state is taking back control of cyber-attacks on Western economies.
It’s official…It definitely IS the Russians
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has laid the blame for escalating worldwide ransomware attacks squarely at Russia’s door. Speaking at the 2024 Boston Conference on Cyber Security last week, FBI Cyber Division Assistant Director Bryan Vorndran said: “Almost all of the criminals developing sophisticated malware to enable ransomware attacks are based in Russian-speaking countries and operate as organized crime syndicates, similar to traditional organized crime elements.” He focused on the FBI’s earlier this year disruption of Dark Web ransomware gang LockBit, stressing that organized cybercriminal gangs, particularly Russian ones, are essentially the same as old-school mafia mobsters. They differ only in their methods and avenues of attack.
$10M Reward for LockBit Mastermind – June 10th
The U.S. Government launched a manhunt for the LockBit ransomware mastermind, Dmitry Yuryevich Khoroshev, for a bounty worth $10M. According to the Justice Department, LockBit is suspected to be behind attacks in almost 120 countries that have extorted nearly $1 billion.
FBI takes down BreachForums -again!
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the criminal hacking forum BreachForums after taking down its website last week. This follows the announcement in February of the seizure of the LockBit ransomware gang’s extortion website. “From June 2023 until May 2024, BreachForums (hosted at breachforums.st/.cx/.is/.vc and run by ShinyHunters) was operating as a clear-net marketplace for cybercriminals to buy, sell, and trade contraband, including stolen access devices, means of identification, hacking tools, breached databases, and other illegal services,” says an FBI advisory.
Millions of emails distributing LockBit ransomware
Affiliates of the infamous ransomware group LockBit have launched a potentially devastating new weaponized email tactic designed to cause maximum disruption to millions of companies in the US and around the world. At the end of April this year, researchers at cybersecurity firm Proofpoint began to observe high-volume ransomware campaigns sending out millions of fraudulent emails over a one-week period, facilitated by the Phorpiex botnet. In all cases, email messages purported to come from “Jenny Green” with the email address Jenny@gsd[.]com. These contained an attached ZIP file capable of downloading the LockBit Black ransomware payload from Phorpiex botnet infrastructure.
Boeing Discloses $200M Ransomware Attempt – May 13th
Boeing made a significant disclosure: The LockBit ransomware group targeted the company, which demanded a staggering $200M extortion payment. Boeing did not pay LockBit a ransom despite 43 GB of company data leaked on the ransomware group's website in November 2023. Boeing is now in contact with the FBI to mitigate the breach.
Q1 2024 Ransomware Attacks See 22% Drop – April 10th
Cyberint released a report that discloses the 22% drop in ransomware cases from Q4 2023 to Q1 2024, or from 1,309 down to 1,048 cases. The 'Q1 Ransomware Report' credits the decrease in ransomware attacks to a major uptick in law enforcement crackdowns on cyber criminal gangs, with notable major actions against LockBit and ALPHV.
Google’s Gemini AI Restricted to Answer Global Election Questions – March 13th
Google announced that the Gemini AI chatbot will be restricted to answering any global election-related questions to avoid any potential missteps. Users have found political questions toward Gemini to result in the answer "I'm still learning how to answer this question. In the meantime, try Google Search."
LockBit Resurfaces After Takedown – February 26th
Arriving days after law enforcement agencies took down LockBit's servers, the ransomware gang resurfaces with a new data leak portal on the dark web. On a public announcement of their re-launch, a LockBit administrator disclosed that their websites were confiscated, however, their operations recovered due to backup servers.
FTC Fines Avast $16.5M for Selling User Data – February 23rd
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed a complaint against Avast for selling user data, along with a $16.5M fine. The FTC's complaint claims "Avast unfairly collected consumers' browsing information through the company's browser extensions and antivirus software, stored it indefinitely, and sold it without adequate notice and consumer consent."
International Law Enforcement Seizes LockBit’s Website – February 20th
U.S. and U.K. authorities announced the seizure of the LockBit ransomware gang's extortion website. The "Operation Cronos" campaign was led by the UK's National Crime Agency, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Europol, in collaboration with a coalition of police agencies from 9 countries globally. However, LockBit posted messages on an encrypted messaging app saying its backup servers were unaffected.