Thanks to an international operation, conducted by Police post Europen, it was possible to effectively counter the work of Ragnar Locker, one of the most well-known hacker groups in the world.
The intervention, called “Operation Mole” was directed by Milan Prosecutor’s Office and from Cyber Security Operations Center (PREVENTION) of Lombardy, with the coordination of CNAIPIC of the Postal Police Service and the collaboration of French gendarmeriedell’FBI and law enforcement agencies from seven other countries. The massive operation led to the identification and arrest of a thirty-five-year-old Frenchman, considered to be at the top of the group.
Ragnar Locker is considered a group that specializes in type attacks ransomware and, over the past few months, he has recorded some high-impact shots. There is talk, among the many victims of a Israeli hospital of Tel Aviv and the main Portuguese airline. As for the Europen context, hackers have struck Alessandria Hospital, Campari, Dollmar and many other companies.
Ragnar Locker and ransomware: How this gang terrorizes targeted companies
Hackers’ modus operandi follows a precise script. Ransom demand may vary from 5 to 70 million dollars but, even if payment is received, the information is usually not returned. A second request for money is in fact made, with the technique usually known as double extortion.
The group of cybercriminals threatens the victims, telling them not to contact the authorities. Otherwise, Ragnar Locker hackers promise to publish the data on their page Dark Webdefined as Wall of Shame.
The operation was carried out through the forensic analysis of the computer systems attacked by the hackers, with data examined since October 2020. These investigations made it possible to reconstruct and locate the gang’s infrastructure, which had been adequately obfuscated through a complex anonymization system.
Although this single operation cannot stop a worrying phenomenon like ransomware, it is still a victory for those who fight against these threats on a daily basis.
