UK Leads Operation to Disrupt LockBit Cybergang

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The Facts

  • It was revealed Monday that the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has led an operation to disrupt Lockbit, which is widely considered the world's largest criminal ransomware group. The FBI, Europol, and other countries also contributed to the long-running operation.

  • NCA released a statement Tuesday saying it took control of LockBit’s primary administrative environment — which had allowed its affiliates to execute attacks — and its public-facing leak site on the dark web. The site now shows information exposing LockBit’s criminal operations.

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The Spin

Pro-establishment narrative

This is a momentous victory over LockBit that will punish the world’s largest ransomware gang and send a message to cyber criminals at large. The long-running operation involved building sophisticated systems that can beat hackers at their own game, an approach that can serve as a road map for dealing with future ransomware syndicates.

Verge

Establishment-critical narrative

International law enforcement agencies deserve kudos for this operation, but the disruption is unlikely to yield massive changes in the world of cybersecurity. Due to syndacites' decentralized nature, and the fact that most hackers reside in Russia, it's virtually impossible to truly dismantle LockBit, and other ransomware gangs are waiting in the wings to fill the void. Law enforcement can't be complacent.

SC Media

Metaculus Prediction

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