"US Law Enforcement Thwarts BlackCat Ransomware Gang, Restores Victims' Computers"

The United States Department of Justice, along with international law enforcement agencies, conducted a takedown of infrastructure related to the ransomware gang Alphv (also known as BlackCat). However, the gang's dark-web site briefly came back online with a defiant message before law enforcement regained control. Alphv has targeted over 1,000 victims worldwide, including critical infrastructure in the US, and has been one of the most prolific ransomware-as-a-service variants, earning hundreds of millions of dollars. The takedown did not result in sanctions or indictments, highlighting the challenges of dealing with cybercriminals based in Russia. The effort involved collaboration from multiple countries, and a decryptor tool developed by the FBI has already helped over 500 victims recover from attacks and avoid paying $68 million in ransoms.