Data theft: Lockbit hacker group smashed in international police operation

The Lockbit hacker group, responsible for data theft and blackmail, has been dismantled in an international police operation. This was announced by the British National Crime Agency (NCA).

A message was displayed on the hackers’ website. “This site is now under the control of the National Crime Agency, which works closely with the FBI and the international law enforcement unit ‘Operation Cronos,'” it said. In addition to Europol, the US FBI and law enforcement authorities from Germany, France, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands and Finland were involved in the international operation.

A spokesman told Sky News that the action was still ongoing. A Lockbit representative said via an encrypted messaging app that the group had backup servers that were not affected by law enforcement.

Lockbit could come from Russia

The criminal group Lockbit, together with hired hackers from other groups, had hacked some of the world’s largest companies in recent months, including the postal service provider Royal Mail in Great Britain at the beginning of 2023. Lockbit makes money by stealing sensitive data and blackmailing them into sharing that data unless victims pay a ransom. According to the US cybersecurity agency Cisa, Lockbit has attacked at least 1,700 US organizations since 2020.

According to media reports, the Lockbit software appeared on Russian-language forums in 2020, leading some analysts to believe that the group came from Russia. On its darknet website, which is now controlled by authorities, the group, based in the Netherlands, said it was apolitical and only interested in money.

The Lockbit hacker group, responsible for data theft and blackmail, has been dismantled in an international police operation. This was announced by the British National Crime Agency (NCA).

A message was displayed on the hackers’ website. “This site is now under the control of the National Crime Agency, which works closely with the FBI and the international law enforcement unit ‘Operation Cronos,'” it said. In addition to Europol, the US FBI and law enforcement authorities from Germany, France, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands and Finland were involved in the international operation.

SOURCE