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Hacker collective Lockbit, described as the most harmful hacking group in the world, has been dismantled in an international police operation. This was reported by the British anti-crime agency NCA. The cyber criminals stole sensitive data all over the world, including in Belgium, and demanded ransoms for it.
“We have hacked the hackers,” NCA director general Graeme Biggar said. The British agency said in a statement that it had infiltrated the network and taken control of it. According to the agency, Lockbit’s cyber attacks with ransomware or ransomware caused thousands of victims worldwide. Billions of euros are said to have been stolen during the four years that the criminal group was active. It was previously reported that the site used by the cyber criminals was under the control of the police.
Lockbit is said to be behind sensational cyber attacks worldwide. For example, last year the group attacked the British postal company Royal Mail, the Dutch football association, and the largest bank in China. In the US alone, there were 1,700 attacks with a total ransom of $120 million, according to the FBI. In Belgium it is known that the city of Geraardsbergen fell victim in September 2022. The city refused to pay, after which the hackers published privacy-sensitive data.
Four arrests
Two suspected Lockbit members have been arrested in Poland and Ukraine. According to the US Department of Justice, two people have also been arrested and charged in the US for ransomware attacks via Lockbit. The US also published two indictments against Russian citizens who allegedly carried out cyber attacks with Lockbit. More than 200 cryptocurrency accounts were also frozen.
Lockbit’s software was “the most widely used ransomware variant in the world” in 2022, according to the BBC. Initially, the software appeared on Russian-language forums, leading some analysts to assume the group originated in Russia. On his website on the dark web, the hackers said they were based in the Netherlands and were apolitical. The group also emphasized that it only focuses on money.
Eleven countries were involved in the police operation. In addition to the United Kingdom and the United States, our neighboring countries Germany, France and the Netherlands also participated. The European police service Europol also participated.
2024-02-20 14:40:10
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