U.S. says it ‘hacked the hackers’ to bring down Hive ransomware group
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U.S. Attorney-General Merrick Garland speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Justice Department, in Washington, on Jan. 26.Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
The Federal Bureau of Investigation hacked a prolific ransomware gang called Hive to disrupt its operations and rescue its victims, senior U.S. officials said on Thursday.
In a joint announcement by U.S. Attorney-General Merrick Garland, FBI Director Christopher Wray, and Deputy U.S. Attorney-General Lisa Monaco, the officials said government hackers broke into Hive’s network and put the gang under surveillance, surreptitiously stealing the digital keys the group used to unlock victim organizations’ data.
“Using lawful means, we hacked the hackers,” Monaco told reporters. “We turned the tables on Hive.”
News of the takedown first leaked on Thursday morning when Hive’s website was replaced with a flashing message that said: “The Federal Bureau of Investigation seized this site as part of co-ordinated law enforcement action taken against Hive Ransomware.”
In a press release Thursday confirming the FBI’s disruption of Hive, the U.S. Department of Justice cited co-operation of groups worldwide. It also noted foreign law enforcement authorities that provided substantial assistance and support, including the RCMP and Ontario’s Peel Regional Police.
Reuters was not immediately able to locate contact details for Hive.
Hive was one the most prolific among a wide range of cybercriminal groups that extort international businesses by encrypting their data and demanding massive cryptocurrency payments in return.
In an alert distributed in November, the FBI said that cybercriminals tied to Hive had victimized more than 1,300 companies worldwide and raked in approximately $100-million in ransom payments.
In a statement announcing Thursday’s takedown, the FBI said the number of targeted organizations had risen to 1,500 and added that its hack of Hive’s networks had thwarted about $130-million in ransom payments.
Canadian researcher Brett Callow, of cybersecurity company Emsisoft, said that Hive was responsible for at least 11 incidents involving U.S. government organizations, schools, and health care providers last year.
“Hive is one of the most active groups around, if not the most active,” he said in an e-mail.
With a report from Globe staff
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