A gaggle of worldwide legislation enforcement businesses have seized the darkish internet leak website of the 8base ransomware gang as a part of a takedown operation.
“This hidden website and the prison content material have been seized by the Bavarian State Legal Police Workplace on behalf of the Workplace of the Public Prosecutor Normal in Bamberg,” reads a message on the gang’s darkish internet leak website, which TechCrunch has seen.
Based on the seizure message, legislation enforcement businesses from Europe, Japan, the U.S., and the U.Okay. had been concerned within the takedown operation.
Lucy Sneddon, a spokesperson for the U.Okay.’s Nationwide Crime Company (NCA), confirmed the legitimacy of the takedown message in an e-mail to TechCrunch. The U.Okay. performed a “supportive position” within the operation, the company stated.
Representatives from the opposite legislation enforcement businesses concerned within the takedown didn’t instantly reply to TechCrunch’s questions.
Safety researchers first observed the seizure discover on Monday.
The ransomware gang is a financially motivated hacking group first noticed in 2022. The group, which safety specialists have linked to the RansomHouse extortion group, is understood for using double-extortion ways, the place criminals encrypt after which threaten to reveal delicate data if the sufferer doesn’t pay a ransom demand.
In 2023, the U.S. authorities warned that the 8base gang centered its “indiscriminate concentrating on” on a number of sectors primarily throughout the USA, together with healthcare. The gang additionally claimed duty for a cyberattack on the United Nations Improvement Programme final 12 months.
In a message on its darkish internet leak website previous to this week’s takedown, 8base described itself as “sincere and easy pentesters.” Very similar to the prolific Clop ransomware gang, 8base claimed to solely goal organizations which have “uncared for the privateness and significance of the info of their staff and clients.”
Numerous strains of ransomware are recognized for use in 8base’s assaults, together with Phobos. The U.S. authorities final 12 months secured the extradition of an alleged Russian hacker who allegedly served as a key administrator of the prolific Phobos ransomware operation.
