WASHINGTON: On Tuesday, the ransomware group REvil’s websites went inaccessible. Websites run by ransomware gangs are notoriously unstable, and it was unclear whether the site’s removal was due to a technical glitch or if the hackers had been knocked offline.
Vanishing acts are prevalent in the ransomware realm, where gangs will vanish and rebrand if they start receiving too much attention.
On Tuesday, the group’s payment site and blog, which listed and shamed those who failed to pay, were both unavailable.
REvil is a cybercrime ring linked to Russia that recently claimed responsibility for a massive ransomware outbreak that targeted https://www.reuters.com/technology/hackers-demand-70-million-to-liberate-data-held-by-companies-hit-mass-cyberattack-2021-07-05 an estimated 800 to 1,500 enterprises worldwide – had already attracted the notice of the US government at the highest levels. President Joe Biden warned on Friday that the US may take more strong action against ransomware in the near future.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-cyber-biden-putin-idAFKCN2EF1XN Asked When asked if it would make sense to target the Russian computers used in such incursions by a Reuters correspondent on Friday, Biden hesitated, grinned, and responded, “Yes.” (Raphael Satter contributed reporting, and Howard Goller edited the piece.)/n
