Joint Statement from FBI, Europol, CISA, EC3, and NCSC-NL: Akira Ransomware Group Drains $42M from 250 Companies
By Tanzeel Akhtar
Updated: April 19, 2024, 04:42 EDT | 1 min read
A ransomware group known as Akira has successfully drained a total of $42 million from 250 different firms since March 2023, according to a joint statement from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Europol, CISA, Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), and the Netherlands’ National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NL).
Ransomware is a form of malicious software that restricts access to a device and its stored data, typically by encrypting files.
The national security organizations revealed in their statement that Akira ransomware has affected businesses across North America, Europe, and Australia.
Additionally, the security forces provided technical details regarding these attacks.
In a coordinated effort by international enforcement agencies, the website belonging to prominent crypto ransomware operator LockBit was taken offline in February. The site now displays a message confirming that it is “under the control of law enforcement.”
This operation, which involved the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the FBI, Europol, and a larger international coalition, specifically targeted the website itself, replacing its content with a statement asserting law enforcement’s control.
According to the Chainalysis 2024 Crypto Crime Report, 2023 marked a significant resurgence for ransomware, with unprecedented ransom payments and a notable increase in the scale and complexity of attacks. This represents a stark contrast to the decline observed in 2022.
As a result of these and other attacks, ransomware groups have achieved a milestone by extorting over $1 billion in cryptocurrency payments from their victims.
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