Department of Justice Launches Global Action Against NetWalker Ransomware Details Written by IVN
Washington, DC - The Department of Justice Wednesday announced a coordinated international law enforcement action to disrupt a sophisticated form of ransomware known as NetWalker.
NetWalker ransomware has impacted numerous victims, including companies, municipalities, hospitals, law enforcement, emergency services, school districts, colleges, and universities. Attacks have specifically targeted the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking advantage of the global crisis to extort victims.
“We are striking back against the growing threat of ransomware by not only bringing criminal charges against the responsible actors, but also disrupting criminal online infrastructure and, wherever possible, recovering ransom payments extorted from victims,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Justice Department’s Criminal
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January 29, 2021
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Wednesday that it launched a coordinated international law enforcement action effort against NetWalker, what it called “a sophisticated form of ransomware.”
The DOJ claimed that the NetWalker ransomware has affected numerous victims, such as “companies, municipalities, hospitals, law enforcement, emergency services, school districts, colleges, and universities.” According to the Department, the ransomware attacks have “specifically targeted the healthcare sector during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking advantage of the global crisis to extort victims.”
The DOJ explained that it brought charges against a Canadian national regarding the attacks where more than $27.6 million was purportedly obtained. Other actions included the seizure of ransomware payments including approximately $454,530.19 in cryptocurrency from three separate attacks and the disabling of a “dark web hidden resource used to
Department of Justice Launches Global Action Against NetWalker Ransomware | OPA
News Highlights: Department of Justice Launches Global Action Against NetWalker Ransomware | OPA.
The Justice Department today announced coordinated international law enforcement action to disrupt an advanced form of ransomware known as NetWalker.
NetWalker ransomware has affected countless victims, including businesses, municipalities, hospitals, law enforcement, emergency services, school districts, colleges and universities. Attacks specifically targeted health care during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking advantage of the global crisis to extort victims.
“We are retaliating against the growing threat of ransomware by not only bringing criminal charges against the responsible actors, but also disrupting the criminal online infrastructure and, where possible, recovering ransom money extorted from victims,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicholas L. McQuaid of the Criminal Division of
Police agencies around the world including the RCMP and the FBI say they have crippled one of the worst malware distribution networks by seizing the infrastructure behind the Emotet botnet.
In addition, U.S. authorities say the distribution of the Netwalker ransomware has also been disrupted. That includes charges against a Canadian and the seizing of approximately US$454,530 in cryptocurrency from ransom payments.
According to an indictment unsealed today in Florida, Sebastien Vachon-Desjardins of Gatineau, Que., is alleged to have obtained at least over US$27.6 million as a result of the offenses listed in the indictment.
Emotet control servers in Canada
US charges NetWalker ransomware affiliate, seizes ransom payments
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The U.S. Justice Department announced today the disruption of the Netwalker ransomware operation and the indictment of a Canadian national for alleged involvement in the file-encrypting extortion attacks.
Earlier today, BleepingComputer reported that law enforcement in the U.S. and Bulgaria seized Netwalker sites on the dark web used for leaking data from non-paying victims and for negotiating payments for data decryption.
In a press release published minutes ago, the DOJ confirms the success of the takedown effort in cooperation with the Bulgarian National Investigation Service and General Directorate Combating Organized Crime.