All articles tagged with #takedown
A PC mod that added online gameplay to Rockstar's Bully was abruptly removed about a month after launch; the developers said the takedown was not what they wanted, deleted user data, and will publish a formal statement later, while the situation fuels discussion about Rockstar's stance on multiplayer mods and how projects like FiveM fit into its ecosystem.
TWICE made history as the first K-pop girl group to headline Lollapalooza, performing a dynamic set that included their live debut of 'Takedown' and celebrating their 10th anniversary with a powerful show that highlighted girl power and their global fanbase, ONCE.
Law enforcement has shut down over 14,000 accounts on third-party services such as Mega, Tutanota, and Protonmail, used by affiliates of the LockBit ransomware service for exfiltration and infrastructure. This action severely hampers cybercriminal operations, with three alleged affiliates already arrested and more arrests planned. The National Crime Agency gained unprecedented access to LockBit's systems, and the U.S. Department of State announced a $15 million reward for information leading to the arrest or conviction of individuals involved in the LockBit gang.
An international law enforcement operation led by the UK's National Crime Agency and the FBI has resulted in the arrest and indictment of members of the Lockbit ransomware gang, known for targeting over 2,000 victims worldwide and receiving more than $120 million in ransom payments. The operation, dubbed "Operation Cronos," involved the seizure of Lockbit's infrastructure, the arrest of two gang members, and the freezing of 200 cryptocurrency accounts. The gang's website, previously used to display victim organizations and ransom deadlines, has been transformed by law enforcement agencies to expose internal data about the group and threaten upcoming sanctions and the identity of Lockbit's ringleader.
The FBI has disrupted the BlackCat ransomware operation and released a decryption tool to help victims regain access to their files. The agency enlisted the help of a confidential human source to gain access to the gang's web panel. BlackCat, the second most prolific ransomware-as-a-service variant, uses a double extortion scheme and has compromised over 1,000 victims globally. The takedown has saved victims from $68 million in ransom demands and allowed the FBI to dismantle the group's TOR sites. Rival groups like LockBit are capitalizing on the situation by recruiting displaced affiliates.
Microsoft has successfully disrupted a cybercrime operation known as Storm-1152, which sold fraudulent Outlook accounts to other hackers, including the notorious Scattered Spider gang. Storm-1152 created and sold approximately 750 million fraudulent Microsoft accounts, earning millions of dollars in illicit revenue and causing significant damage to Microsoft. The operation used internet bots to deceive Microsoft's security systems and sold the fraudulent accounts to cybercriminals. Microsoft obtained a court order to seize Storm-1152's infrastructure and domains, including hotmailbox.me, and identified the individuals behind the operation, who are based in Vietnam. The takedown was assisted by cybersecurity company Arkose Labs.
After Universal Music Group took down a fake AI collaboration between Drake and The Weeknd, two more AI songs featuring Drake's voice have surfaced online. The first one, called "winters cold," sounds like a typical Drake track, while the second one, "Not a Game," is less convincing. UMG has issued takedown requests for these songs as well, citing copyright violations and a breach of their agreements. AI-generated music is becoming increasingly popular, but it raises questions about copyright and compensation for artists.
The FBI, along with law enforcement agencies from several countries, has seized Genesis Market, a notorious hacker marketplace used to acquire compromised credentials and digital browser fingerprints. The takedown, dubbed “Operation Cookie Monster,” also saw 120 people arrested and 200 searches carried out globally. Genesis Market has been active since 2017 as an invitation-only online marketplace that sells stolen credentials, cookies, and digital browser fingerprints gathered from compromised systems. The now-defunct marketplace has been linked to millions of financially motivated cyber incidents globally.
The FBI has seized the domains for Genesis Market, a major player in the stolen credentials market, as part of Operation Cookie Monster. The marketplace offered both consumer and corporate account identities, and its operators used info-stealing malware to collect logins and fingerprint data. The FBI is interested in anyone in contact with the administrators of the marketplace, who have not been caught or identified. The takedown prompted a large number of arrests worldwide, and the FBI credits international law enforcement and private sector coordination for the success of the operation.