Here's a quick explanation of why you shouldn't believe the promises of cyber ransomware.
As part of the international operation Kronos, UK law enforcement agencies revealed that the LockBit ransomware group saved the data of its victims, despite receiving a ransom for deleting them.
LockBit, which Graham Biggar, director general of the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), described as "the most active and malicious ransomware group" of the past four years, has managed to attack thousands of organizations around the world during its existence.
The criminals actions included encrypting devices on the victim's network and / or stealing data, after which they demanded a ransom for providing the decryption key and deleting the data. In its demands, the group claimed that it strictly fulfills its promises, since if it is not true to its word, no one will pay a ransom in the future.
However, as it turned out recently, hackers still kept backups of the stolen data even after the victim paid a ransom. Whether the criminals shared this information with third parties is not specified, but the very fact that the data remained with them completely negates all the statements and promises of extortionists.
The NCA plans to later release additional information obtained during the operation, including information about the LockbitSupp administrator and the group's finances. Graham Biggar, speaking to reporters, stressed the criticality of the ransomware threat, noting that 2023 was a record year in terms of the number of attacks and the volume of extorted funds.
It is possible that LockBit will try to restore its criminal activities, but law enforcement agencies intend to continue the fight against this group, especially now that they have sufficient information about its participants and methods of action.
Earlier, we reported that law enforcement officers eliminated the LockBit infrastructure and gained full control over their site on the onion network. Now, instead of the list of victims, various secrets about the internal structure of the group are published there. Today it also became known that Operation Kronos led to the first arrests of former LockBit members who have long been acting in the interests of the group from the territory of Poland and Ukraine.
As part of the international operation Kronos, UK law enforcement agencies revealed that the LockBit ransomware group saved the data of its victims, despite receiving a ransom for deleting them.
LockBit, which Graham Biggar, director general of the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), described as "the most active and malicious ransomware group" of the past four years, has managed to attack thousands of organizations around the world during its existence.
The criminals actions included encrypting devices on the victim's network and / or stealing data, after which they demanded a ransom for providing the decryption key and deleting the data. In its demands, the group claimed that it strictly fulfills its promises, since if it is not true to its word, no one will pay a ransom in the future.
However, as it turned out recently, hackers still kept backups of the stolen data even after the victim paid a ransom. Whether the criminals shared this information with third parties is not specified, but the very fact that the data remained with them completely negates all the statements and promises of extortionists.
The NCA plans to later release additional information obtained during the operation, including information about the LockbitSupp administrator and the group's finances. Graham Biggar, speaking to reporters, stressed the criticality of the ransomware threat, noting that 2023 was a record year in terms of the number of attacks and the volume of extorted funds.
It is possible that LockBit will try to restore its criminal activities, but law enforcement agencies intend to continue the fight against this group, especially now that they have sufficient information about its participants and methods of action.
Earlier, we reported that law enforcement officers eliminated the LockBit infrastructure and gained full control over their site on the onion network. Now, instead of the list of victims, various secrets about the internal structure of the group are published there. Today it also became known that Operation Kronos led to the first arrests of former LockBit members who have long been acting in the interests of the group from the territory of Poland and Ukraine.
