A gang makes money by stealing sensitive data
© APA/EPA
Investigators have managed to strike a powerful blow against a global network of cybercriminals and extortionists. Hacking group Lockbit has been dismantled in a joint law enforcement operation by Britain's National Crime Agency (NCA), the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Europol, according to a post on the gang's former extortion website on Monday.
She added: “This site is now under the control of the National Crime Agency, which is working closely with the FBI and international law enforcement unit Operation Kronos.” An NCA spokesperson confirmed that the gang had been dismantled.
Lockbit and its partners have hacked some of the world's largest companies in recent months. The gang makes money by stealing sensitive data and threatening to share it if victims do not pay a ransom. Their partners are like-minded criminal groups who are recruited by the group to carry out attacks using Lockbit's digital extortion tools. According to the US cybersecurity agency CISA, Lockbit has attacked at least 1,700 US organizations since 2020.
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