The hacker group that attacked the networks of the world’s leading companies has been neutralized: the Prosecutor General’s Office
Ukrainian law enforcement officers, together with colleagues from the USA, EU countries and Europol, eliminated a hacker group that used ransomware to attack the networks of leading global companies. This was reported by the Prosecutor General’s Office.
One of the leaders of the group was informed in absentia about the suspicion and an international manhunt was announced. The FBI has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information on his whereabouts.
The investigation established that since 2018, the suspects attacked the servers of companies in France, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and the USA. They encrypted more than 1,000 servers and caused losses in the amount of more than 3 billion hryvnias.
In August 2024, the pre-trial investigation of one of the most active members of the group was completed. He is accused of unauthorized interference in the operation of information systems, creation of malicious software and extortion. He faces up to 12 years in prison.
The investigation made it possible to find out the full structure of the group — from the developers of ransomware and hackers who penetrated corporate systems to the people involved in the legalization of the received funds. LockerGoga, MegaCortex, HIVE and Dharma were used for the attacks. The attackers blocked access to the servers and demanded a ransom in cryptocurrency.
As part of the investigation, several members of the group were arrested in Ukraine, some of them have already been brought to court. One of the foreigners who was wanted internationally was extradited to the USA.
