The US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Thursday that they have been conducting a disruption campaign against a notorious ransomware group called Hive. This campaign has been ongoing for several months, and its focus was on a group that targeted critical infrastructure and international businesses with ransomware attacks. Hive’s activities resulted in millions of dollars in cryptocurrency being extorted through ransom payments.
The news of the disruption was made public on Thursday morning when the FBI seized Hive’s website. At a news conference following the seizure, FBI Director Christopher Wray revealed that the FBI had gained access to Hive’s control panel in July 2022. The FBI has been working to provide decryption keys to victims, thus saving them from paying ransom fees, while Hive remained unaware.
The FBI has offered decryption keys to around 1,300 victims, preventing them from paying ransom fees, and has identified over 1,500 victims in over 80 countries that Hive had targeted. Through ransom payments, Hive had made over $100 million.
The DOJ stated that the German Federal Criminal Police and the Dutch National High Tech Crime Unit have also seized Hive’s servers. This was a significant victory for the DOJ and the FBI in combating cybercrime, especially ransomware.
Ransomware is malicious software that prevents access to a computer’s files until a ransom is paid. This type of cyber attack can devastate individuals and organizations, as it often results in the loss of sensitive data and financial losses. The disruption of Hive is a strong message to other ransomware groups and cybercriminals that the DOJ and FBI are committed to combating this threat.
In conclusion, the disruption of Hive is a significant event in the fight against cybercrime, especially regarding ransomware. The FBI’s efforts to provide decryption keys to victims, along with the seizure of Hive’s servers by international law enforcement, have prevented millions of dollars in ransom fees and stopped the spread of this malicious software. The DOJ and FBI’s commitment to combating cybercrime conveys that these malicious activities will not be tolerated.
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US Justice Department disrupts Hive ransomware network