Following what has been described as a major breakthrough in the cyberattack against Lurie Children’s Hospital, it has been reported that the FBI and British authorities have successfully dismantled what they have labelled the world’s most prolific ransomware group: LockBit. There is now speculation that this group may also be linked to the recent serious outage at the hospital that began at the end of January.
Despite the fact that LockBit’s involvement has not been confirmed, the group has previously claimed responsibility for a similar outage at a hospital on the city’s West Side. It is believed that the recent LockBit bust could potentially provide victims of malware, such as the Lurie Children’s Hospital, with the necessary decryption tools to regain control of their compromised systems.
According to Philip Sellinger, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, there is always a digital trail that can be followed, and law enforcement officials are confident they will be able to trace LockBit’s activities. The cybercriminals responsible for the ransomware have reportedly stolen at least $120 million from thousands of victims worldwide.
Brett Lederman, deputy assistant director for cyber operations at the FBI, has emphasized that LockBit has targeted a wide variety of organizations, from government agencies and hospitals to schools and high-profile companies. In fact, it is known that LockBit was behind a cyberattack at St. Anthony Hospital in Little Village in December, during which the group publicly claimed responsibility for the ransomware attack. In light of the recent breakthrough, it has been revealed that law enforcement agencies have successfully infiltrated and disrupted LockBit’s operations, leading to the replacement of the group’s website with a message indicating that it is now under the control of law enforcement.
Cybersecurity expert Rob Lee, from the SANS Institute, has described the takedown of LockBit as an “incredibly big deal.” Lee has highlighted the potential impact of the bust, asserting that it may help other malware victims who have yet to resolve their issues. Furthermore, it is understood that LockBit has set up a specific site for ransomware victims to potentially query if the takedown has led to the recovery of decryption keys that could be used to regain control of their compromised networks.
As of now, LockBit has not publicly claimed responsibility for the outage at Lurie Children’s Hospital. However, considering the recent developments, the potential connection between the ransomware group and the cyberattack at the hospital cannot be overlooked.
CBS 2 made efforts to reach out to St. Anthony’s Hospital and Lurie Children’s Hospital for comment on the bust, but as of Tuesday evening, there had been no response.
It is clear that the takedown of LockBit represents a significant achievement in the fight against cybercrime, and the impact of this development on the numerous victims of the ransomware will continue to unfold in the days and weeks ahead. More information about this ongoing investigation can be found on CBS News. Megan Hickey, a member of the 2 Investigator team, is focusing on topical investigative stories related to this case.