Ransomware sites on the dark web have allowed criminals to extort hospitals, businesses, and schools for years. Hackers have cost businesses millions of pounds by encrypting data or threatening to post it online.
It was called LockBit and was a huge success until one day last month when a hacker logged onto the site and discovered it had been hacked by authorities including the UK's National Crime Agency and the FBI. These agencies have announced that they are controlling the Rockbit site, marking a new phase in the fight against cybercrime.
alex hearn explain to Nosheen Iqbal Why has ransomware become so widespread in recent years, putting so many businesses and people at risk? Ransomware One man knows more about the inner workings of the criminals running his site than anyone else. john dimaggio, a security strategist who tried to infiltrate the gang by posing as a Russian hacker. It didn't work out, but it led to him developing a relationship, almost a friendship, with the Rockbit boss.
DiMaggio had a ringside seat when Rockbit was acquired. He tells how harmful it was to the gang. Alex Hahn explains what these hackers' hacks tell us about the ransomware industry and how it might evolve in the future.
Original music: Ned Carter Miles
Photo: Reuters
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