FBI Hacks Criminal Ransomware Gang

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Facts

  • The FBI has seized the computer infrastructure used by a prominent ransomware group, which has extorted over $100M from hospitals, schools, and other victims across the globe, US officials announced Thursday.
  • Hive ransomware is one of the most notorious hacker gangs in the world, and the US government issued a November advisory about the group’s cyberattacks. Ransomware hackers received heightened focus after a cyberattack forced a major US pipeline operator offline in 2021.
  • US Attorney General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Deputy US Attorney General Lisa Monaco held a news conference revealing that government hackers broke into Hive’s network. The US government also reportedly put the gang under surveillance.
  • Monaco asserted, “Using lawful means, we hacked the hackers,' which allowed the FBI to prevent Hive from collecting more than $130M in ransomware demands from over 300 victims.
  • The FBI revealed it gained access to Hive’s computer networks in July 2022 and acquired decryption keys to over 1300 victims. Ransomware groups are often decentralized with members around the world; Hive’s core group spoke Russian leading to speculation about a Kremlin tie.
  • Despite the victory against Hive, cybersecurity experts worry another ransomware group will take its place. John Hultquist of the cybersecurity firm Mandiant said the Hive disruption won’t cause a “serious drop” in ransomware activity, but it at least delivered a blow to a “dangerous group.”

Sources: CNN, Al jazeera, Reuters, Reuters, NBC and CNN.

Narratives

  • Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Pbs newshour. The US government has made great progress in the arena of cybersecurity and is taking the necessary steps to address the growing threat of ransomware attacks. The intelligence community has rightly prioritized shutting down nefarious hacker groups — its efforts are clearly paying off.
  • Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Cyberscoop. The federal government has not taken cybersecurity seriously enough, and even government-created watchdog groups recognize the lack of urgency. Federal agencies need to be held accountable for their slow pace. Antiquated systems simply lag behind sophisticated hackers waiting to wreak havoc.