Ransom Payment
DOJ investigates ex-ransomware negotiator over extortion kickbacks
An ex-ransomware negotiator is under criminal investigation by the Department of Justice for allegedly working with ransomware gangs to profit from extortion payment deals. The suspect is a former employee of DigitalMint, a Chicago-based incident response and digital asset services company that specializes in ransomware negotiation and facilitating cryptocurrency payments to receive a decryptor or prevent […]
Ransomware payments fell by 35% in 2024, totalling $813,550,000
Payments to ransomware actors decreased 35% year-over-year in 2024, totaling $813.55 million, down from $1.25 billion recorded in 2023. Additionally, only about 30% of victims engaged in negotiations with ransomware actors ended up paying any ransom to them. These figures are reported by blockchain intelligence firm Chainalysis, underlining a significant decline in an otherwise record-breaking year for […]
American Radio Relay League confirms $1 million ransom payment
An amateur radio nonprofit based in Newington said it has paid $1 million to decrypt its computer servers after a ransomware attack that started in May. ARRL, The National Association for Amateur Radio, said its network was compromised by hackers who used information purchased on the dark web. The hack affected everything from desktop and laptop […]