Summary
TLDR: Law enforcement officials in multiple countries dismantle LockBit, one of the world’s most prolific ransomware gangs, by indicting two Russian men, seizing servers, freezing assets, and issuing arrest warrants. Victims can now recover their data with decryption keys and assistance from law enforcement. The operation deals a major setback to LockBit, but efforts against cyber criminals will continue.
Key Points
1. LockBit, one of the world’s most prolific ransomware gangs, has been dismantled in a coordinated campaign involving officials from the United States, United Kingdom, and several other countries.
2. The U.S. Department of Justice unsealed an indictment against two Russian men, Artur Sungatov and Ivan Kondratyev, for carrying out LockBit attacks against U.S. companies.
3. Authorities have seized control of the technical infrastructure used by LockBit, obtained decryption keys to help victims regain access to their data, and arrested several alleged members of the ransomware group.