Authorities Claim Seizure of Notorious ALPHV Ransomware Gang's Dark Web Leak Site (techcrunch.com) 9
An international group of law enforcement agencies have seized the dark web leak site of the notorious ransomware gang known as ALPHV, or BlackCat. From a report: "The Federal Bureau of Investigation seized this site as part of a coordinated law enforcement action taken against ALPHV Blackcat Ransomware," a message on the gang's dark web leak site now reads, seen by TechCrunch. According to the splash, the takedown operation also involved law enforcement agencies from the United Kingdom, Denmark, Germany, Spain and Australia.
In a later announcement confirming the disruption, the U.S. Department of Justice said that the international takedown effort, led by the FBI, enabled U.S. authorities to gain visibility into the ransomware group's computer to seize "several websites" that ALPHV operated. The FBI also released a decryption tool that has already enabled more than 500 ALPHV ransomware victims to restore their systems. (The government's search warrant puts the number at 400 victims.) The FBI said it worked with dozens of victims in the United States, saving them from paying ransom demands totaling approximately $68 million.
In a later announcement confirming the disruption, the U.S. Department of Justice said that the international takedown effort, led by the FBI, enabled U.S. authorities to gain visibility into the ransomware group's computer to seize "several websites" that ALPHV operated. The FBI also released a decryption tool that has already enabled more than 500 ALPHV ransomware victims to restore their systems. (The government's search warrant puts the number at 400 victims.) The FBI said it worked with dozens of victims in the United States, saving them from paying ransom demands totaling approximately $68 million.
Yeah, whatever. (Score:3)
https://xkcd.com/932/ [xkcd.com]
Re: (Score:3)
They arrested the website.
IMHO (Score:2)
Just IMHO, seizing a darkweb site is not very meaningful. The criminals can always make another, if they're not caught physically. They won't lose an IP address or a domain registration. They can start anew immediately.
A bigger loss for them would be if their servers, network equipment, staff etc. were seized. I hope authorities managed to do that.
Not how I'd do it (Score:2)
If I were the FBI, I'd have posted a message:
"You have reached the dark web site of ALPHV ("BlackCat") ransomware. To prove that you are not Law Enforcement, please tell us how you got this URL, and give an example of a ransomware or malware exploit that you have successfully perpetrated."
Re: (Score:1)
> The criminals can always make another
They probably have a Beowulf Cluster of such sites. It's not like they get a bill for each one, some other poor schmuck gets the bill.
"Authorities" what now? (Score:1)
"Authorities Claim Seizure" -- authorities on what. Authorized by whom? Speaking with the authority of speech of ... um... anyone?
Stop labeling cops as "authorities." They're just nazis in new uniforms.
respect mi authoritay (Score:1)
Re: (Score:2)
Technically, they are armed bureaucrats. Although in this case, maybe more like script kiddies defacing websites and ransoming servers.