Hackers Behind High-Profile Ransomware Attacks on 71 Countries Arrested

Hackers launched ransomware attacks to extort money from the following two entities by encrypting their data and demanding a ransom payment for its release:-

• Individuals
• Organizations  

Here, cryptocurrency payments’ financial motivation and relative anonymity make them an attractive method for hackers.

Recently, with the help of international collaboration, law enforcement agencies successfully arrested the hackers behind high-profile ransomware attacks on 71 countries.

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Hackers Arrested

Amid Russia’s military aggression, the following law enforcement agencies united to dismantle the Ukraine-based ransomware operations:-

• Global law enforcement
• Europol
• Eurojust

Joint global effort arrests ransomware ringleader in Kyiv, and the Europol-led operation with international investigators from the following countries to assist Ukrainian police:-

• Norway
• France
• Germany
• The US

The virtual command post of Europol in the Netherlands analyzes seized data, follows up on 2021 arrests, and identifies suspects in the latest Kyiv action.

Roles & TTPs

Here below, we have mentioned all the varied roles:-

• Network compromise
• Crypto payment laundering

Here below, we have mentioned all the techniques that the threat actors use:-

• Brute force
• SQL injections
• Phishing
• Undetected access (via TrickBot, Cobalt Strike, PowerShell Empire)

Besides this, security analysts managed to discover that threat actors have encrypted more than 250 servers and also observed notable significant losses surpassing hundreds of millions of euros.

Ransomware used

The suspected network behind global ransomware attacks targeted large corporations in 71 countries using the following ransomware:-

• LockerGoga
• MegaCortex
• HIVE
• Dharma

A joint investigation team formed by France, Norway, the UK, and Ukraine, backed by Eurojust. Europol’s EC3 facilitates cybercrime action; forensic analysis aids decryption tools for LockerGoga and MegaCortex ransomware.

Participating Agencies

Here below, we have mentioned all the law enforcement agencies that have participated:- 

• Norway: National Criminal Investigation Service
• France: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Paris, National Police
• Netherlands: National Police, National Public Prosecution Service
• Ukraine: Prosecutor General’s Office, National Police of Ukraine
• Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Office of Stuttgart, Police Headquarters Reutlingen CID Esslingen
• Switzerland: Swiss Federal Office of Police, Polizei Basel-Landschaft, Public Prosecutor’s Office of the canton of Zurich, Zurich Cantonal Police
• United States: United States Secret Service (USSS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) 
• Europol: European Cybercrime Centre (EC3)
• Eurojust

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