US hack against Hive ransomware crew

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The US has revealed it infiltrated a prolific cyber-crime ring to secretly foil its hacking attacks for more than six months.

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) also revealed that the FBI gained deep access to the Hive ransomware cluster in late July 2022

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The authorities were able to warn the victims of the impending attacks.

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He also gave over 300 decryption keys to those who were hacked, saving them, he estimates, more than $130m (£105m)

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The US estimates that Hive and its affiliates have collected more than $100m (£81m) from more than 1,500 victims, including hospitals, school districts, financial companies and critical infrastructure in more than 80 countries around the world

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The FBI believes it worked with local law enforcement agencies to help victims recover, including Britain's National Crime Agency, which says it provided decryptor keys to around 50 UK organizations recovering from the hack. Granted.

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The US said on Thursday it had ended the campaign by taking down Hive's websites and communications networks with the help of police forces in Germany and the Netherlands.

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Researchers and cyber officials have long accused Russia of harboring ransomware groups.

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In November 2021, alleged members of the REvil gang were arrested around the world, with US authorities recovering over $6m in cryptocurrency in a "Claw Back" hacking operation.

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A similar operation by the US in June 2021 took the Darkside gang offline and recovered $4.1m in stolen funds.

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In all three cases, the hacking groups largely disbanded but are believed to have re-formed into other groups.

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The latest action comes as research shows ransomware employers see a 40% drop in earnings as victims refuse to pay in 2022.

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