from the mounting-pressures-and-crackdowns dept.
Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
The Ragnarok gang, also known as Asnarok, closed up shop this week, publishing the news to their public website, according to a post published Thursday by analyst firm Recorded Future’s The Record, among other sources.
As a parting “gift,” the group released their decryptor, hardcoded with a master decryption key, for free as well on the portal. Previously, the site was primarily the place where Ragnarok would publish data from victims who refused to pay ransom.
“Ragnarok now becomes the third ransomware group that shuts down and releases a way for victims to recover files for free this summer, after the likes of Avaddon in June and SynAck earlier this month,” according to The Record.[...] The gang is the latest ransomware group to shutter operations, due in part to mounting pressures and crackdowns from international authorities that already have led some key players to cease their activity. In addition to Avaddon and SyNack, two heavy hitters in the game — REvil and DarkSide – also closed up shop recently.
Other ransomware groups are feeling the pressure in other ways. An apparently vengeful affiliate of the Conti Gang recently leaked the playbook of the ransomware group after alleging that the notorious cybercriminal organization underpaid him for doing its dirty work.
(Score: 4, Touché) by Snotnose on Monday August 30 2021, @08:51PM (5 children)
They got money from illegal things, yet didn't get A) huge fines; B) Outed; C) prison terms; or D) a bullet to the back of the head.
Can I rob a couple banks, call "Uncle", and get off scott free? Cuz I could sure use the money, and I'm pretty sure I'm smart enough to rob 3-4 banks before being caught.
Dear FBI/Facebook. I don't plan to rob any banks. Please leave me alone. I read a lot and play a lot of video games, both of which lead me to believe I could be a successful bank robber. I dunno how books and video games translate to real life.
Of course I'm against DEI. Donald, Eric, and Ivanka.
(Score: 2) by Mykl on Monday August 30 2021, @10:39PM
I doubt that the members of these gangs will be auto-deleted from any wanted lists, but I do concede that their priority rating has probably plummeted to the point that they can actually look for an apartment in Monaco now.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by inertnet on Monday August 30 2021, @11:54PM (2 children)
They may have succeeded in extorting a lot of money, but they have failed as human beings.
(Score: 2) by optotronic on Tuesday August 31 2021, @01:36AM
+1 Insightful, but I wish this meant more to more people.
(Score: 2) by Frosty Piss on Tuesday August 31 2021, @04:03AM
They extorted bitcoin, not money. There is a difference.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday August 31 2021, @04:39PM
plus, who knows...maybe start up again and do it over for a short time, close down, go anonymous, rinse, repeat?
There was a group of guys who crossed Canada, robbing stores: break in through the roof, use steel toe boots to punch holes in the drywall, 'walk' their way down to floor level, steal what they wanted, then leave the same way.
Then party like animals, rinse, repeat. Don't know if they ever got caught.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. I have always been here. ---Gaaark 2.0 --
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 31 2021, @01:14PM (1 child)
Good news, but are there any details as to why?
Perhaps a 'we know who you are love note' delivered to their physical location?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday August 31 2021, @02:00PM
All of these groups are claimed to be intel agency assets by other intel agencies, so it's probably related to international politics and "cyber-cold-war".