Topics
Latest
AI
Amazon
Image Credits:Ukraine Cyber Police
Apps
Biotech & Health
mood
Image Credits:Ukraine Cyber Police
Cloud Computing
commercialism
Crypto
An arrested individual accused of involvement in a string of ransomware attacks.Image Credits:Europol.
go-ahead
EVs
Fintech
Fundraising
Gadgets
Gaming
Government & Policy
computer hardware
layoff
Media & Entertainment
Meta
Microsoft
Privacy
Robotics
certificate
Social
distance
startup
TikTok
Transportation
Venture
More from TechCrunch
case
Startup Battlefield
StrictlyVC
Podcasts
video
Partner Content
TechCrunch Brand Studio
Crunchboard
Contact Us
Europol and its international law enforcement partner have halt five individuals who authorities accuse of involvement in a string of ransomware attack affect more than 1,800 victims worldwide .
The nab individuals , which include the criminal gang ’s ringleader , 32 , and four of his “ most active ” confederate , were nail following a series of raids at 30 holding across Ukraine last workweek , Europol said in a statement on Tuesday . The suspects were not named .
More than 20 investigators from Norway , France , Germany and the United States help oneself the Ukrainian National Police with the investigation in Kyiv , while Europol also set up a virtual program line inwardness in the Netherlands to process the data seized during the searches .
agree toa separate announcement from Ukraine ’s Cyber Police , law enforcement official arrogate computer equipment , cars , banking company and phone SIM cards , and dozens of token of electronic medium .
The constabulary also attach cryptocurrency assets , including almost four million hryvnias ( around $ 110,000 ) , and other supposed evidence of illegal activities .
The halt are the late in a year - farseeing probe that in 2021 saw12 individuals contain in raids in Ukraine and Switzerland . Europol said in its annunciation Tuesday that its earlier actions afterward “ facilitated the identification of the suspect targeted during the activeness last week in Kyiv . ”
The five individuals arrested last week stand accused of cipher over 250 servers belong to large corporations , and successfully extorting “ several hundred million euros ” from its victims .
Join us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
The culprit are believed to have played different roles in the reprehensible mesh : Some used brute - force attacks and stolen certificate to separate into a dupe ’s web ; some used malware , such as Trickbot , to stay undetected and gain further access ; and others are suspected of superintend the laundering of cryptocurrency payments made by victim to regain accession to their steal file .
Europol accused the hackers of “ wreaking mayhem ” on direct organizations . One ofthe ransomware var. the group used was LockerGoga , the same sort of malware usedin the cyberattack against Norwegian aluminum processor Norsk Hydroin March 2019 . The aggressor also deploy MegaCortex , Hive and Dharma ransomware , harmonize to Europol ’s declaration .
Europol ’s investigating into this deplorable organisation has also allowed Swiss authorities , in coaction with Bitdefender and the European Union ’s No More Ransom project , todevelop decryption tools for the LockerGogaandMegaCortex ransomware version . These tools provide victims torecover their stolen files without having to pay a ransom money .
Why the public sphere is an well-fixed target for ransomware
