According to DOJ, FBI gained deep access to the Hive ransomware group in the late July 2022. The infiltration prevented them from blackmailing $130 million in emancipate bills from more than 300 organizations.
The files of victims are encrypted by ransomware gangs using malicious software, locking them up and rendering them unavailable unless a ransom is paid to obtain a decryption key.
It is being estimated that Hive and its affiliates have accumulated over $100 from more than 1,500 victims that included hospitals, school districts, financial companies and critical infrastructure, in more than 80 countries across the globe.
The FBI revealed that it has collaborated with the local law enforcement agencies to help victims recover from the attack, including the UK's National Crime Agency, which claims to have given around 50 UK organizations decryptor keys to overcome the breaches.
On Thursday, the US announced that it had put an end to the operation by disabling Hive's websites and communication systems with the aid of police forces in Germany and Netherlands.
Attorney General Merrick Garland stated that "Last night, the Justice Department dismantled an international ransomware network responsible for extorting and attempting to extort hundreds of millions of dollars from victims in the United States and around the world."
While the Equity Division had not yet been used to capture any individual connected to Hive attacks, a senior official suggested that such releases might happen soon.
In regards to the infiltrations, Deputy Attorney General Lisa O Monaco said, "simply put, using lawful means, we hacked the hackers."
Moreover, the DOJ says it would pursue those behind the Hive until they were brought to justice.
"A good covert operation can degrade confidence in operational security and inject suspicion among actors,” Mandiant Threat Intelligence head John Hultquist said. "Until the group is arrested, they will never truly be gone. They will have to reconstitute, which takes time, but I'll bet they reappear in time."
