FBI Disrupts ‘Hive’ Ransomware Group

U.S. authorities seized the servers of the notorious Hive ransomware group after entering its networks and capturing keys to decrypt its software, the Justice Department said on Thursday, calling its effort a “21st-century cyber stakeout.”

The group linked to Hive ransomware is widely seen by authorities and cybersecurity experts as one of the most prolific and dangerous cybercriminal actors in recent years. They have been linked to attacks on more than 1,500 victims including hospitals and schools—and have extorted more than $100 million in ransom payments, the Justice Department said.

In an operation that began in the summer in Tampa, Fla., FBI agents infiltrated Hive’s network and used the access to identify victims and provide them keys with which to take back control of their networks, officials said. The effort blocked some $130 million in demanded ransoms, department officials said.

“The FBI and our prosecutors have been inside the network of one of the world’s most prolific ransomware variants,” Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said. “We hacked the hackers.”