Russian authorities have announced that they have dismantled the infamous REvil ransomware gang and arrested several of its members.
As the BBC reports, the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation, or FSB for short, said in a statement that the cybercrime group had "ceased to exist" following a recent police operation.
Although the United States was prepared to offer a reward of up to €10 million for information on the REvil ransomware gang, it now appears that none of its members will be extradited after their arrest. According to the FSB, the agency used the information provided by the United States to dismantle the group and permanently end its operations.
In addition to seizing 426 million rubles (about €5,5 million), including nearly €600 worth of cryptocurrency, the FSB also seized 000 "premium cars" from the group.
Grupo the ransomware REvil
Although the group took down all of its websites and essentially shut down in September of last year, REvil is one of the most notorious ransomware gangs to ever exist.
REvil was responsible for a major ransomware attack on meat processor JBS that led to a complete shutdown of production over the Memorial Day holiday last year. However, the group also struck again over the July 4, 2021 holiday weekend when it attacked IT management company Kaseya, affecting hundreds of organizations, including several managed service providers and their customers.
Although news broke that REvil resumed operations as BlackMatter last summer, the news of the group's disbandment will likely come as a relief to the many organizations it has targeted over the years.
We'll have to wait and see if the Russian government and FSB provide more details on their operations, but for now, it looks like REvil is finally down.
We've also highlighted the best ransomware protection, best malware removal software, and best antivirus.
via BBC