Europol has announced the arrest of several suspected REvil ransomware group suspects, while almost simultaneously the US Justice Department announced the indictment and seizure of millions of dollars from the individual suspected of launching the Kaseya ransomware attack earlier this year.
Steve Forbes, Government Cybersecurity Expert at Nominet, said: “The tables are turning for ransomware groups as law enforcement organisations around the world are taking an increasingly strong stand against threat actors. Most recently, we’ve seen the REvil arrests in Europe and the US, and the seizing of millions of dollars from the suspect reportedly behind the Kaseya ransomware attack this summer.
“The collective efforts by the US and over a dozen countries to pursue cybercriminals and take back their ill-gotten gains is not just a message for the ransomware groups themselves, but a signal to would-be cyberattackers everywhere that these attacks won’t be tolerated. When you consider that the FBI Director has told US lawmakers that they’re investigating more than 100 types of ransomware, there is likely more action to come.
“Maintaining this type of pressure on global criminal operations will be essential to preventing them from reinventing themselves and returning in a new guise. Unfortunately, considering the funds and resources these entities now have available, the battle against ransomware is not yet over.”
