An international group of law enforcement agencies have seized the dark web leak site of the notorious ransomware gang known as ALPHV, or BlackCat.
“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, Germany and Australia.
Spokespeople for the FBI and the U.K.’s National Crime Agency did not immediately respond to TechCrunch’s requests for comment.
The ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware gang has been one of the most active and destructive in recent years. Believed to be a successor to the now-defunct sanctioned REvil hacking group, ALPHV claims to have compromised a number of high-profile victims, including news sharing site Reddit, healthcare company Norton, and the U.K.’s Barts Health NHS Trust.
In recent months, the group’s tactics have become increasingly aggressive. In November, the ALPHV filed a first-of-its-kind complaint with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), alleging that digital lending provider MeridianLink failed to disclose what the gang called “a significant breach compromising customer data and operational information,” for which the gang took credit.
The Department of State previously said it will reward people with information “about Blackcat, their affiliates, or activities.”
This is a developing story…
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