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Ransomware Group BlackSuit Hit Hard in $1 Million International Takedown
Key Takeaways
- A joint US and international operation shut down BlackSuit’s systems and seized $1 million in cryptocurrency;
- BlackSuit, active since 2023, targeted key sectors like healthcare and government using file-locking and data-leak threats;
- The group attacked over 450 US victims and collected more than $370 million in Bitcoin ransoms.
A ransomware group known as BlackSuit has had its systems shut down and around $1 million in cryptocurrency taken by US and international authorities.
The Department of Justice revealed on August 11 that the operation took place on July 24.
US agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the FBI, IRS, and Secret Service, worked alongside police forces in the UK, Canada, Germany, Ukraine, Lithuania, France, and Ireland.
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BlackSuit, a spin-off from the Royal ransomware group, has been active since 2023. Authorities stated that the group focused on sectors essential to public services and daily operations, such as healthcare, government offices, and factories.
The group relied on ransomware that not only locked files but also threatened to leak data, a method used to pressure victims into paying.
According to investigators, BlackSuit has targeted over 450 organizations in the US since 2022. Payments sent to the group's wallets have totaled more than $370 million, with ransom amounts usually between $1 million and $10 million.
In 2023, one victim transferred 49.3 BTC
Officials later identified $1 million from those transactions and seized it with a court order.
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