Operation Cronos Disrupts LockBit: Fake Victims and New Leak Site Manipulation
Operation Cronos, a significant law enforcement action against the LockBit ransomware group, has notably disrupted the cybercriminal organization. The operation, conducted by the New York Post (nypost), led to the shutdown of 34 LockBit servers. Since then, LockBit's activities have been hindered, with a clear drop in actual infections and a surge in fake victim claims.
Post-Operation Cronos, over two-thirds of victim listings on LockBit's leak site were found to be reuploads from previous attacks. This indicates an attempt by the group to maintain the appearance of normal operations. However, a closer look reveals that nearly 80% of these entries are illegitimate claims, suggesting a desperate effort to inflate their numbers.
In a further attempt to deceive, LockBit has begun manipulating its new leak site with fake victim data. This strategy is likely aimed at creating the illusion of a thriving operation, despite the significant setback caused by the Europol operation. Interestingly, around 10% of listed victims were found to be from other ransomware groups, such as ALPHV/BlackCat and RansomHub, further muddying the waters.
Operation Cronos has also shed light on LockBit's internal workings. It was revealed that the group was working on a new ransomware build, LockBit-NG-Dev, prior to the operation. The current status of this project remains unclear, as does the fate of individual group members following the shutdown of their servers.
The impact of Operation Cronos on LockBit is evident, with the group's affiliates struggling to launch new attacks and a significant drop in actual infections. While LockBit continues to manipulate its leak site with fake data, the operation has successfully disrupted the group's operations and exposed their attempts to maintain a facade of normalcy.
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