TechFlow, August 12 — According to FinanceFeeds, the U.S. Department of Justice announced a joint operation with law enforcement agencies from Canada, Germany, and six other countries to successfully seize core infrastructure used by a Russian ransomware criminal group, including four servers, nine domains, and approximately $1.09 million worth of Bitcoin assets.
The group developed and operated two ransomware variants, BlackSuit and Royal, which have attacked over 450 U.S. targets since 2022, affecting critical sectors such as healthcare, education, and energy. Investigations show that the group demanded over $500 million in ransom payments and obtained at least $370 million in illicit proceeds.
The seized Bitcoin funds originated from a digital wallet frozen by an exchange in January 2024, which included part of a $1.45 million ransom payment made by a victim in April 2023. The U.S. Department of Justice stated that the investigation is ongoing.
