Law enforcement authorities from over a dozen countries in Europe and North America have taken part in disrupting the activities of the Hive ransomware group, the U.S. Justice Department and Europol announced. Hive is believed to have targeted various organizations worldwide in the past couple of years, often extorting payments in cryptocurrency. Captured Decryption Keys…
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European law enforcement authorities have detained four more members of the executive team of crypto exchange Bitzlato, Europol announced. According to the police agency, nearly half of the funds processed through the platform were associated with various criminal activities. Bitzlato Senior Management Targeted in Europe, Exchange Infrastructure Dismantled High-ranking executives of the recently busted Bitzlato…
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Anatoly Legkodymov, founder of China-based crypto firm Bitzlato, was arrested under suspicion of money laundering related to illicit Russian finance. The good news of the last week is that Bitcoin (BTC) has continued to rebound, making around 10% up from Jan. 16 to Jan. 23. But the worrying trend of crypto companies making headlines due…
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While the number of ransomware hits may not have decreased significantly, the revenue from such attacks has fallen sharply last year, according to Chainalysis. The blockchain forensics firm believes that to a large extent the trend can be attributed to more of the targeted organizations refusing to pay the perpetrators. Chainalysis Registers Significant Decline in…
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A hospital in Romania has been targeted in a ransomware attack with the perpetrators seeking payment in cryptocurrency to decrypt its database. The hack prevents the medical institution from reporting to the country’s health insurance fund in order to receive due funding. Botoşani Hospital Blackmailed for Bitcoin, Romanian Media Reports The Saint Gheorghe Recovery Hospital…
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The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) has published a specially designated nationals list update (OFAC’s SDN List) that lists a number of individuals accused of being involved with Iran-related ransomware. The list further shows seven bitcoin addresses that are allegedly associated with the Iranian ransomware gang. Iran Adds 7 New Bitcoin Addresses to…
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The FBI, along with two other federal agencies, CISA and MS-ISAC, asked U.S. citizens to report information that helps track the whereabouts of the hackers. Three federal agencies in the United States — the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center — jointly…
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A Russian national suspected of laundering ransomware payments in cryptocurrency on behalf of cybercriminals targeting hospitals has been extradited to the U.S. by the Netherlands. The man was allegedly involved in the criminal activity for a period of three years before his arrest in Amsterdam last November. Alleged Russian Money Launderer Handed Over to U.S.…
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Cryptojacking has become a lucrative choice for cybercriminals as many victims are unaware they have been compromised. New research shows that despite falling digital asset prices, cryptojacking has reached record levels in the first half of 2022. According to a mid-year update on cyber threats by American cybersecurity company SonicWall, global cryptojacking volumes rose by…
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The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has seized $500K in ransom payments and cryptocurrency from a state-sponsored North Korean group. “We are returning the stolen funds to the victims,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco said, adding that the seized funds include ransoms paid by health care providers in Kansas and Colorado. DOJ Seizes Crypto…
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