Ransomware Gang hackers in Ukraine have been arrested for hundreds of cyberattacks targeting hundreds of European and North American firms.
The operation that arrested the two "prolific ransomware" hackers was a joint mission by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI, the French National Gendarmerie, and the Ukrainian National Police, as per The Hacker News.
The joint operation of law enforcement agencies from multiple nations is also assisted by INTERPOL's Cyber Fusion Centre and Europol's European Cybercrime Centre.
Ransomware Gang Hackers Arrested in Ukraine
According to Yahoo News, Europol announced on Oct. 4 that the two ransomware gang members were arrested by the law enforcement agencies last Sept. 28.
The European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation further noted that the ransomware gang is suspected to be behind targeted cyberattacks on large industrial firms from April 2020 up to the present.
The agency explained the scheme of the prominent ransomware gang, revealing that the criminal minds steal data by planting a virus on their systems.
After which, the ransomware group will encrypt sensitive files and demand ransom that skyrockets to $81 million. The payment would enable the victim to decrypt their files again to continue with their operations.
However, if the hefty demands are not fulfilled, the attackers usually resort to leaking sensitive data on the dark web.
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Police Seized Luxury Cars, Crypto, and Cash
The joint operation did not only arrest two of the ransomware gang members. It also seized $375,000, along with $250,000 worth of luxury cars. On top of that, the law enforcement agencies also froze cryptocurrencies to the tune of $1.3 million.
Coindesk said that ransomware hackers commonly demand the ransom payment to be in cryptocurrencies, which could be due to two reasons: security and speed.
The Ukrainian National Police also disclosed that the numerous attacks that the arrested ransomware gang members have already caused its victims a whopping $150 million worth of damages.
The police in Ukraine posted a video of the operation on YouTube wherein the officers fully armed and high-powered guns were seen entering an apartment filled with computers, MacBooks, and cash.
It is worth noting that the authorities have yet to unveil which ransomware gang the arrested members belong to.
However, the police agency noted that one of the two arrested individuals is a 25-year-old citizen of Ukraine, who is suspected to be behind the deployment of the virus into remote working programs.
The latest arrest comes after the previous operation against several members of the ransomware gang that goes by the moniker Clop last June 23.
Aside from the Clop members' arrests, the law enforcement also seized computers and cars with Tesla and Mercedes badges.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Teejay Boris
