U.S. Seizes BlackCat Ransomware Site

The US Justice Department seized websites belonging to a notorious Russian-speaking ransomware group, disrupting hackers who have extorted millions of dollars from victims worldwide, as reported by Jeff Stone and Ryan Gallagher for Bloomberg.

BlackCat previously claimed responsibility for a string of high-profile hacks targeting companies and organizations in the US and Europe. I Image: Varonis

The website for the extortion group BlackCat, also known as ALPHV or Noberus, recently broadcasted a message stating that US officials had taken control of the page.

As part of the operation, the FBI developed a decryption tool that enabled US and international law enforcement agencies to assist more than 500 victims in restoring their computer systems, according to the Justice Department.

“With a decryption tool provided by the FBI to hundreds of ransomware victims worldwide, businesses and schools were able to reopen, and healthcare and emergency services were able to come back online,” the department said.

The FBI also obtained a search warrant that helped the bureau gain visibility into the gang’s operations, the Justice Department said. US officials did not report any arrests as part of the operation.

BlackCat previously claimed responsibility for a string of high-profile hacks targeting companies and organizations in the US and Europe. “In disrupting the BlackCat ransomware group, the Justice Department has once again hacked the hackers,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said in a statement.

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